Staff members at the TBDHU now have a fleet of 4 workplace bikes, providing employees the opportunity to add exercise to their workdays by cycling to and from meetings, or to use during breaks or lunch. The workplace bike fleet program is designed to promote healthy living within the organization and is a first for Thunder Bay - making the TBDHU a role model in the community.
“Physical activity at work increases productivity and staff morale and decreases absenteeism,” says Joanna Carastathis, Health Promotion Planner. “Our work involves encouraging workplaces to consider investing in healthier options for their employees. I’m glad we are setting an example for that.”
TBDHU staff, regardless of how much they were already biking, biked more when the bikes were available at work, according to the evaluation of the program. From May to October 2015, staff members used the bikes 136 times and logged almost 800 km of travel. That helped the TBDHU win a Silver Bicycle-Friendly Business Award from the Share the Road Cycling Coalition.
“It’s about building a culture of physical activity at work, especially for those workplaces where employees sit at their desks for most of the day. Having the bikes at the staff entrance, ready-to-go, makes it easy for people to fit in a ride when they may not have before. We have helmets and locks too, so there are fewer barriers to taking a spin,” Carastathis adds.
The distinct lime-green workplace bikes are provided by Mississauga-based SustainMobility which has developed a turnkey approach to a workplace cycle program. All the policies, promotional materials and program manuals have been developed and adapted for the TBDHU, allowing the organization more time to focus on encouraging other organizations to implement similar programs.
“We are very excited to see the staff at TBDHU regularly using the bikes and have received great feedback. We hope that other workplaces follow suit!”