With a focus on both physical and mental well-being, Alfa Laval created a health challenge that deeply engaged employees. The results in Sweden have been so strong that they now aim to make it an annual tradition – and they hope to, in the future, expand it to more countries.
Interview with: Andrew Burnett.
Reading: 5 min.
Andrew Burnett, Senior HR Partner at Alfa Laval, combines over a decade of international HR experience with a passion for communication and collaboration, driving initiatives that strengthen both people and performance.
Physical and Mental Health as Long-term Investments
For Alfa Laval, the health challenges have not only been about promoting the well-being of employees in the short term, but also about creating long-term, sustainable results.
The initiative was designed to promote both physical and mental well-being, foster a positive corporate culture, and encourage long-term healthy habits. At the same time, Alfa Laval wanted to explore how such a challenge could impact employee engagement and productivity. In essence, the goal was to strengthen the foundation for a sustainable and resilient workplace.
”Interaction and social collaboration noticeably declined after COVID. This challenge helped engage those social muscles again.”
“If everything goes according to plan and the interest is still there and the results are still just as positive, then there’s no reason why we shouldn’t continue to run it every year.”
A Holistic View of Health: Physical and Mental Health in Harmony
Alfa Laval has also taken a broader approach by integrating both physical and mental health into its health challenges.
“We believe it’s a fine balance between physical and mental well-being, and this year we explored having mental health included in the challenge. It was a no-brainer,” says Andrew.
“The health challenge has not just been about getting in physical shape, but also about creating a platform where we can take a step back and reflect on our mental health. We have created space for our employees to find tools to manage stress and build sustainable work habits, which has strengthened both our corporate culture and productivity,” he continues.
“The challenge helped us not only promote physical and mental health, but it also encouraged a bunch of people to collaborate and connect with each other who had never done so before.”
Enormous Engagement and Strong Results
The engagement from Alfa Laval’s employees has been remarkable and has really made an impact within the organization. Participants have collectively contributed to over 240,000 – almost a quarter of a million social interactions between colleagues, further strengthening the positive corporate culture. The concrete results from the health challenge speak for themselves, see below:
64% activity increase
Participants exercised an average of 4.8 times per week. Activity increased by a full 64% on average, which is a strong sign of improved cardiovascular fitness and increased mental focus.
Activation of inactive
92% of previously inactive participants found a more active lifestyle, showing a long-term positive health behavior.
Minutes of physical activity
Participants exercised an average of 333 minutes per week, far above the WHO recommendation of 150 minutes.
Direct impact and postitive reactions
We had such a positive reaction from all the participants – not only from a ‘my god, it’s fun’ perspective, but also based on the data we received before, during and after the challenge,” says Andrew Burnett. “We saw things like a drastic reduction in inactivity, which obviously promotes physical health. We saw engagement, positive feedback, and comments toward mental health as well, because it encouraged people to get out and interact. And then of course, it’s all backed by the knowledge and the statistics behind well-being in general.”
The positive effects on participants’ health have also had a direct impact on workplace productivity. According to a Gallup survey, which covered 200,000 companies and 1.7 million employees, companies with engaged employees experience 14% higher productivity and 23% higher profitability.
“The health challenge has not just been about getting in physical shape, but also about creating a platform where we can take a step back and reflect on our mental health.”
A Global Perspective on Health: From Sweden to the World
With the successes they’ve seen in Sweden, Alfa Laval now sees great benefits in making this health challenge an annual global activity – and they hope, over time, to explore the possibility of running it in more countries as well. The positive impact on both employee health and company performance makes this an effective tool for promoting a healthy and productive workforce globally.
“We already know that the interest is there because, during the challenge, I had individuals from various countries reaching out to me, asking if we could run the challenge in other countries” says Andrew.
Advice to other HR leaders considering a We+ health challenge
“My advice is: don’t overthink it. If it falls within your area of responsibility, this is absolutely something that adds value – and the return on investment is virtually unlimited. It’s a short time commitment – six, eight, or twelve weeks – and there’s really no reason not to do it,” says Andrew.
“Mikael, our contact at We+, has been exceptionally helpful. We truly see We+ as a trusted and reliable third party for this type of initiative. So if you’re hesitating – set that aside and go for it.”
Conclusion: A Sustainable Future through Investment in Health
Alfa Laval demonstrates that health challenges, when integrated properly, can be a long-term investment in both employee well-being and company success. By continuing the initiative annually, and hopefully expanding it further when the time is right, they strengthen their workforce and create a corporate culture that promotes both sustainability and productivity.