Before You Start > Keys to Success > Social Level: What’s the Level of Social Support in Your Workplace?

This section focuses on the social relationships that affect physical activity, both at home and at work.

Aim to increase your level of workplace social support by considering the following questions and action steps:

Create a Positive Social Climate

Consider whether there’s a positive social climate that encourages employees to be active during the workday.

• Is being active the norm? Do employees feel that they have support for physical activity from managers and co-workers?

When people sense that they are part of a company-wide effort, they feel more comfortable walking around the office, doing something active outside during breaks, stretching at their desks or wearing a pedometer. When the boss gives the stamp of approval, physical activity becomes acceptable and encouraged.

Involve Family and Friends

Family and friends are major influences. Are family members encouraged to participate? When they’re involved, success is more likely. Employees with children may require child care to be able to participate or may prefer to participate with their children.

Employee Recognition

Everyone likes to feel appreciated. Are all employees recognized for their efforts? Even a simple thank you makes a person feel good. It’s important to celebrate effort and not just reward those who happen to be naturally athletic or who are already active. Those who are inactive (who may not have a lot of confidence or skill) need the most encouragement and have the most to gain.

Champions for Physical Activity

Every successful program has a champion who can lead by example. At your workplace, are there champions (whether executives, managers, “the boss” or employees) who can help lead the way and set a positive example?

Champions (including company leaders and employees at all levels) with a keen interest in making a difference help to ensure that a program is maintained and sustained, even in times of cutback. It’s important that bosses are not segregated, but participate alongside employees. It’s also important to involve employees from all parts of the organization (e.g., front-line workers) in planning and running initiatives.

Ways to Build a Positive Social Climate

• Encourage workers to take a break at lunch.

• Participate in Canada’s Healthy Workplace Week.

• Keep communication channels open, and inform everyone about programs and progress.

• Plan a launch to create excitement and build enthusiasm for upcoming program activities.  Have the boss make the announcement.

• Design programs everyone can do. Plan activities that don’t require a high level of skill.

• Put a priority on rewarding participation or improvement in physical activity. Put less emphasis on rewarding the best or the most fit.

• Strive for programs with shared responsibility, in which both employees and managers contribute time and effort equally.

• Ensure fair access to physical activity opportunities.

• Read the Success Stories on this website for ideas. The Success Stories also include information about the unexpected, positive spin-offs from friendly challenges.

• Participate in walking programs and pedometer challenges. These challenges are great ways to bring people together.

• Find other active ideas for employees to do together in the Ideas section on this website.

Find out More

Canada’s Healthy Workplace Month: This event is held each October, and you can access the website year round. Check out the archived activities from past years for lots of ideas.

Walking programs (or pedometer walking programs) are an easy way to begin. Visit this section of the Resources section.