A few easy-to-squeeze-in workday activities for in-the-field techs can go a long way toward greater productivity. Photo: ©istock.com/Akhilesh
Let’s take a break from technology this month and turn back the clock to a time when the word “mobile” had nothing to do with phones, global satellite systems (GPS) or handheld devices of any kind. You’ve been constantly inundated throughout the past 15 years by rapidly evolving mobile technology and might have forgotten the word once referred only to something that’s movable or in motion.
How much of your team’s workday is spent sitting in vehicles or behind desks on telephones? Generally, it seems the only employees who should worry about physical inactivity are the office managers, secretaries, accounting departments and receptionists. But even the most active technicians and inspectors can suffer some physical annoyances, thanks to repetitive motion or muscle-straining labor.
Ever hear of “text neck”? Chiropractors say it’s a legitimate ailment that can cause distracting achiness for employees who must continually look down at smartphones, tablets and other handheld devices, to send and receive messages. The bottom line is, no matter your position in any company, chances are you’re not as fit as you wish or moving as much as you should. It doesn’t take a doctor to know exercise is the best cure for what ails you.
Get a move on
Adding a little movement to a sedentary office staffer’s day and a few easy-to-squeeze-in workday activities for in-the-field techs can go a long way toward greater productivity and better overall morale. Volumes have been written about how increased physical activity during the workday can enhance mental sharpness and reduce stress.
Here are a few ideas for putting the workday in motion:
⦁ Morning team meetings for technicians can be an opportunity for limbering up for the day. Nominate a team leader to do some research on stretching exercises that can be part of your techs’ morning ritual. Necks, backs and knees take the most hits during a typical pest professional’s day, so concentrate on those parts.
⦁ Suggest weekly walking staff meetings. If it’s not reasonable to get the whole company together for a workday walk, consider creating groups of three or four who can go out together to discuss whatever needs discussing. Anything you can say around a conference table can be said on a walk in the park. Schedule the meetings in the afternoon if you feel employees need a mid-day boost. Or, if getting over the 8 to 10 a.m. hump is the bigger challenge, schedule them for the beginning of the day.
⦁ Look around for local gyms that offer group rates and encourage employees to get a membership. Exercise doesn’t have to occur during the workday to have a positive effect on the workday, but if your gym of choice is nearby, you might find some employees would enjoy using their lunch hour to pop out for a bite and a quick trip to the gym for 20 minutes or so on a treadmill.
⦁ Have you considered a ping-pong table for your break room? It would provide employees light exercise with a subtle competitive edge. Unless you’re a certified pro, the physical exertion from a ping-pong match probably wouldn’t necessitate a shower before returning to work, and it can be a good break from all the texting, solitaire playing, and who knows what else taking place on a smartphone during down time.
You can reach Pest Management Professional Senior Editor Will Nepper at wnepper@northcoastmedia.net or 216-706-3775.
Leave A Comment