Bike to Work Challenge leads to higher productivity and higher attendance

Investing in the health of your people pays off for every employer. On average, four employees out of a hundred are absent daily due to illness. For 2023, Czech doctors issued more than 2.5 million documents on incapacity for work. They lasted an average of 31 calendar days. Which is already a relatively large deficit in attendance. How can companies and institutions prevent this situation? One of the tools is the Bike to Work Challenge.

The most common ailments that send employees on sick leave include various colds, flu and colds, and back and spine problems. Even people who show up at the workplace despite minor or major physical and psychological problems are not a big win for the employer. Their work performance sometimes drops to 50% of normal. Even though they have a higher tendency to make mistakes and make bad decisions, which can lead not only to negative economic impacts but also to threats to workplace safety. In short, a healthy and resilient company is made up of healthy people.

Prevention is key

According to a study by the Australian Mediabank Private, they are 3 times more productive than people with health problems and understandably also draw less sick leave. Investing in health programs therefore pays off very well for companies. The project of the State Health Institute and the Ministry of Health calculated that roughly two to five times. In addition to an unhealthy lifestyle and inappropriate eating habits, stress is also a risk factor for health, especially for people who work mentally. Corticosteroid, a hormone secreted during stress, has an adverse effect on the immune system. And chronic illness has a negative impact not only on the employee’s paycheck, but also on his psyche, not to mention his invention, creativity and sense of team spirit.

Cycling together

There is a lot of evidence for the positive effects of physical activity on mental health, including the elimination of stress and anxiety. Exercise also boosts morale and self-confidence. And this in turn leads to higher productivity. Some employers pay for yoga classes for their employees. But more and more of them are finding a hobby in the To work challenge by bike, walk or trot. The starting fee for the May Challenge 2023 was paid by employers for 79% of the participants. The challenge works great not only as a fitness program, but also as a non-traditional team building that contributes to the cultivation of company culture. And it also benefits the environment. The term sustainability, which is used more and more often, also inherently includes sustainable transport. And the vast majority of those who try self-propelled travel during the month of May stay with it at least for the rest of the season and even longer.

Supporting sustainable mobility pays off

Half an hour a day is enough

The May Challenge is intended for teams of 2 to 5 members, who can heckle and tease each other, in short, it brings a little competitive spirit to the workplace. In larger companies, it allows you to get to know colleagues from the opposite end of the building, get to know each other better and experience other non-work activities together. It is not about breaking records at all. The only competition category announced by the organizer of the challenge, the AutoMat association, is regularity. Just 30 minutes of cycling a day significantly increases the quality of life, boosts immunity, benefits the heart, joints and weight reduction. And uplifting.

They know this in thousands of companies and institutions throughout the country, which regularly join the May Challenge. They build changing rooms and bike rooms for their employees, organize internal company competitions and then aspire to the title Cycloemployer of the Year. They invest in the health of their people and a more sustainable future for all of us. You, your colleagues and your entire company should join them.