This World Mental Health Day we are launching a Desk Break Policy in the London office, that will become part of our wider Culture of Wellness programme coming in the next few months.
Starting today, we are encouraging all employees to take a 15 minute desk break to step away from their desk and move, because we recognise and understand the importance of this in prioritising your mental and physical health at work.
“We want everyone to feel empowered and enabled to find 15 minutes in their working day, away from their desk. So, when our Goliners do this is up to them, without needing to ask their line managers. This is about finding smart ways to create 15 minutes to move for your mind,” said Rebecca Hall, Group HR Director.
We are launching the initiative today with a series of motivational talks and a series of 15 minute desk break activities throughout the day includingr group walks, stretching and shadow boxing.
The initiative follows our newest ASICS campaign #DeskBreak that warns the world about the workplace threat of uninterrupted desk work, encouraging employees to take a desk break to move for their mind.
We recruited Brian Cox – the world’s scariest boss – to deliver a PSE to rally employees against the real threat to our mental health in the workplace – the desk we work at every day – and to take a #DeskBreak to move for 15 minutes, proven to provide mental benefits.
The campaign was inspired by World Mental Health Day’s theme of workplace mental health and a new global study and ASICS Desk Break experiment, with Dr Brendon Stubbs, from King’s College London, which found that our mental state starts to decline after only two hours of continuous desk-based working. However, just 15 minutes of exercise can help to reverse the effects.
The experiment showed that taking a daily Desk Break for just one week lowered stress levels by 14.7%, boosted productivity by 33.2% and improved focus by 28.6%. Participants reported feeling 33.3% more relaxed and 28.6% more calm and resilient. 79.2% of participants said they would be more loyal to their employers if offered regular movement breaks.
When office workers added just 15 minutes of movement into their working day, their mental state improved by 22.5%.
To support the campaign and inspire businesses and employees to take a desk break, ASICS has created The Desk Break Clause – the world’s first employment contract clause for movement. Giving workers the legal right to additional 15-minute movement breaks in their working day.
Join us and ASICS by building 15 minute movement breaks into your day, or even download our world-first employment contract clause for movement.