Upon completing the 8-week implementation phase of BeUpstanding, champions are asked to fill out a program completion survey via the BeUpstanding toolkit. The survey asks various questions about what strategies they did as a team, facilitators and barriers to implementing the strategies, as well as their experience as a champion in delivering the program. As part of our evaluation of BeUpstanding, we are looking at what worked well in the program and what aspects of the program workplace champions liked. This articles summarises champion responses to the question “What did you like about the BeUpstanding Program?”
The easy to follow and simple structure of the program, along with the resources and information provided in the toolkit were key aspects of the program champions enjoyed, as highlighted by the following champion responses:
“Ease of implementation, no cost, good resources. Ability to implement from home and in our purpose-designed office space.”
“Easy to follow, well structured. Posters were great and the toolkit was well thought out and put together.”
“Easy to implement and tailor to suit the work environment & people’s abilities.”
“Resources that were engaging and easy to access and use”
“Clear, structured weekly guide about what to do.”
Another feature of the program that champions frequently reported liking was that it brought the workplace together and provided a positive, fun and engaging program that was team building, as shown by these champion responses:
“I think it was team building, it provided good information on the impacts of sedentary work which encourages people to move more and it provided an opportunity for staff to make the program a bit of fun and to tailor the movement strategies to our own workplace.”
“The toolkits were extremely helpful in selling the program and made it a lot easier to run. I think the program in general allows for more community to be built within a workplace.”
“Fun, easy, good for team building”
“Clear instructions, fun and positive. Uplifting.”
Champions also reported that the program raised awareness around the importance of sitting less.
“Conversation starter on sedentary work and discussions on health impacts.”
“Got people to think about the impact of their sitting and encouraged more movement.”
“It effectively raises awareness of the need to sit less and be more active.”
“Just making us / staff aware of the impact of long periods of sitting.”
“Personal reflection on my current activity levels and how sometimes simple things can make a difference.”
Additional features of the program that Champions found helpful were the support provided by the BeUpstanding team, the flexibility to tailor the program to match the teams’ individual needs, and that it was something unique that was beneficial for the health of their staff. This was highlighted by the following champion responses:
“It gets the basics right first, movement in our sedentary work rather than introducing things that are outside of workplace and hours. Educating was a key foundation to going forward. Getting movement into workday without requirement for having sit / stand workstation.”
“It is educational, you don’t need to spend time and money on resources. You use what you already have. It is something you can easily run in any department.”
“It’s motivating and staff get to decide for themselves which strategies they prefer.”
We know for a workplace health and wellbeing program to be effective, it should be evidence-based. However, from the information we have obtained from workplaces participating in BeUpstanding, it is also beneficial if the program is engaging, fun, provides all the necessary information and tools, is simple and easy to implement and sustain.
Have you tried the BeUpstanding program yet? Do these responses match with your experiences? We welcome all feedback as we look to continuously improve the program, so please get in touch if you would like to share your experiences with us.
Comments are closed.