Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Workplace Wellness: A Movement To Bring Wellness To The Workplace by Maya Loeb, Lab Secretary in The Loeb Lab
Workplace Wellness: A Movement To Bring Wellness To The Workplace by Maya Loeb, Lab Secretary in The Loeb Lab
Workplace Wellness
A Movement to Bring Wellness to the Workplace
By Maya Loeb, Lab Secretary in the Loeb Lab
Table of Contents:
Executive Summary…………………………………………………………2
The Problem………………………………………………………………....3
Project Description…………………………………………………………..5
Cost Analysis………………………………………………………………...6
Assessment Strategy…………………………………………………………7
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………...8
Appendix……………………………………………………………………..9
Works Cited………………………………………………………………….10
Executive Summary
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Fred Hutch)1, employees tend to spend the
majority of the day sitting at their desk doing research on their computers or looking under a
microscope. Sitting for long periods is proven to have negative implications on one’s health and
can result in lower energy, motivation, and productivity in the workplace. Being a lab secretary
for a summer at the Fred Hutch, I spent most of my days sitting at a desk, ordering materials, and
organizing inventory. I also had few interactions with other labs, except for the few we
researched with.
Getting more active and promoting collaborations are two problems I would like to address in
this proposal. Workplace Wellness is a movement that aims to address both of these problems by
providing employees more opportunities to get to know one another and collaborate, as well as
allowing them the chance to focus on their health.
Globally, companies have been evolving their work environment to make it more collaborative
and focused on the health of their employees. Implementing adjustable desks would allow
employees to choose between a sit or stand position. In a study done by Texas A&M Health
Science Center School of Public Health, they found that call center employees, who sit all day,
were 46% more productive when they used sit-stand desks. To enhance the benefits of
movement and collaboration, I also propose we partner with ClassPass to provide midday
workout classes for employees.
The effects of this initiative will impact every employee at the Fred Hutch. We will see an
increase in productivity, innovation, and a health-focused work environment. Stressing wellness
and working together can only be positive, and in turn can lead to finding a cure to cancer faster.
1
Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center is a non-profit organization founded in 1975 in Seattle, Washington. They
focus on eliminating cancer and related diseases that cause human suffering and death.
The Problem
In a BBC News Report it was said that “sitting or lying down for too long increases your risk of
chronic health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.” Additionally, in
another study, prolonged sitting was also linked to poor mental health. However, for those with
nine to five office jobs, sitting for the majority of the day is very common.
Workplace Wellness is a dual step initiative, which is aimed to help employees improve their
health and increase collaboration between labs.
Part One: Buy all employees an adjustable desk. That way employees can decide when they
would like to stand or sit. While this is a simple step, it is effective. Zenreach, a marketing
start-up based in San Francisco, added adjustable height desk risers for their sales team, which
boosted employee’s morale, eliminated fatigue, and re-energized their employees. Providing our
employees the option to stand will improve their health, reduce chronic back pain, and give them
more energy to focus on their research and experiments.
Part Two: Partner with ClassPass so employees can book a workout class at a top studio, live
stream a class from the world’s best trainers, or play a workout on demand. Doing so will
improve employee’s health since they will be given the opportunity to exercise for 30-45 minutes
midday and take a break from work. According to Forbes, exercising on the clock leads to
building more social connections, relieving stress, keeping one’s heart-healthy, more energy,
increasing productivity, and helps prevent diseases like diabetes. Consistent exercising has ample
benefits and will have an impact on employees to help them be more productive.
These steps will enhance socializations among labs and employees. Partnering with ClassPass
will allow employees to unplug from work for a period of time midday and may prompt them to
take classes with other Fred Hutch employees to promote collaboration back in the workplace.
Additionally, having standing desks could prompt employees to walk to another lab to ask a
question instead of just collaborating with the lab they work in. Implementing these solutions
will allow us to have a more social and healthier work environment, which enhances productivity
to find new and effective ways to treat our patients.
Cost Analysis
Direct Costs:
Desk Purchases:
We plan to purchase these desks on Amazon. The desk we plan to purchase is shown below.
Item #Units Needed Cost per Unit Total Cost
$12,300 $61,500
Assessment Strategy
Conclusion
Workplace Wellness is a dual step initiative that aims to accomplish two goals: improve
employee health and increase communication amongst Fred Hutch members.
The first part is to change all employees’ desks to adjustable ones. That way employees no
longer have to remain stagnant for long periods of time. Having this option will encourage them
to stand more frequently and improve their overall health. Adjustable desks can also lead to
increased communication as the cluster set up will encourage lab members to interact more.
The second part of the initiative is to partner with ClassPass to provide employees the
opportunity to participate in midday workouts. ClassPass makes it easy to find the right workout
whether it is in a studio, live streaming, or on-demand. Taking 30-45 minutes a day will allow
employees to not only get moving but to meet other colleagues. It is essential that employees are
comfortable with one another to ensure a great work culture. Meeting more people will also lead
to an increase in collaboration and helps labs come together to research as efficiently as possible.
Appendix
To: All Members of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
FROM: Maya Loeb, Lab Secretary
DATE: 11/4/2020
SUBJECT: Implementing Workplace Wellness
Partnering with ClassPass provides employees the opportunity to exercise in the middle of the
day, as well as get to know other members at the Fred Hutch. Forming closer bonds with each
other will allow for more effective communication and efficient research. These classes will be
30-45 minutes, and no cost for Fred Hutch employees. ClassPass enables users access to top
studio classes, live-streamed classes with the best trainers, or you can follow along with a
pre-recorded video.
If we fully participate in these two efforts, you will see benefits in your own work. Increasing
movement throughout the day not only benefits your health, but will increase motivation and
productivity. Being more efficient with your work may even lead to getting off earlier or more
downtime. Additionally, you will get to know your colleagues better and may produce grants or
research projects together.
If you have any further questions about Workplace Wellness please email me at mloeb@scu.edu
or call me on my mobile at (425)-623-8285.
Works Cited
Kohll, Alan. “Why We Pay Our Employees To Exercise At Work.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 9
Jan. 2019,
www.forbes.com/sites/alankohll/2019/01/09/why-we-pay-our-employees-to-exercise-at-
work/.
“Sitting for Long Periods 'Is Bad for Your Health'.” BBC News, BBC, 15 Oct. 2012,
www.bbc.com/news/health-19910888.
Zhou, Skyler. “4 Ways Standing Desks Improve Employee Productivity.” FlexiSpot, Flexispot,
27 Mar. 2019,
www.flexispot.com/spine-care-center/4-ways-standing-desks-improve-employee-product
ivity/.