Let's Be Fruit Friends

Wow, I just realized many months have passed since my last post… and during this period my stomach and I have been happy, and I have exercised leadership in many ways at work and at home (especially at home with my 13-month old daughter). My apologies!

I want to share about the Wellness Days my employer is offering in Switzerland as part of a corporate Wellness program. When I joined the company in my home country almost 13 years ago we were offered fruits and sandwiches every day – we didn’t need to eat breakfast at home, we could have a healthy and balanced breakfast in the office. How convenient! This lasted a few years, then the first cost cuts came in and the fruits and sandwiches were replaced by vending machines that also included these plus yogurts, cookies and other less healthy snacks. We were entitled to an item at choice per day and the rest we would have to pay – fair enough, and still very convenient.

Then when I relocated to Geneva and here I found again fruit baskets distributed in the office every day. I really felt good about having fruit for free again because it meant my employer cared for its employees. Some years ago the cost reduction measures also hit Switzerland and that was the end of the daily free fruits. Later the company launched a global program aiming at promoting wellness to the employees and the Swiss directors decided to launch the program in the form of Wellness Days. The big launch was celebrated with free healthy breakfast composed of free fruits, freshly squeezed juices, cereals and yogurts, many workshops and awareness sessions during the day and free healthy desert at lunch. What a nice initiative!

I became fan of the Wellness Days. They happen now once a month in all company offices in the country, are announced through emails entitled “Let’s be Fruit Friends” and are celebrated with free fruit baskets. I am not always in the office, but I try to be on the Wellness Days, not so much for the gratuity of fruits but for what it means – the company cares for its employees and wants them to be well and healthy. And healthy employees tend to be happier and more loyal employees, so the Wellness program and days are definitely a great leadership initiative!

I am curious to learn if there are other organizations focused on employees’ well-being, running any sort of wellness program and offering free healthy snacks. You tell me, dear reader…