PwC is always looking for new and effective ways to support its people in finding the balance between non-stop professional activities and time for themselves. We believe that once you find the right balance you can truly grow, both personally and professionally. A big part of achieving this is health and wellbeing, which is what our Fit for You programme is all about.
The goal of Fit for You is to energise us and help us adopt a healthier lifestyle for greater vitality and better balance in life. The programme is specifically designed to be all-inclusive. Whatever your level of fitness, this programme can help you make the changes you need - on your own or as part of a group - to enjoy better health. It focuses on four key areas: mental resilience, moving more, nutrition and sleep. At the heart of Fit for You is a web-based platform where you can track your progress, consult blogs, enroll for activities and much more.
The launch of our Fit for You programme in 2019 was an outstanding success. In FY2020, more than 1,670 people registered on the platform and 28% met the World health Organisation standard of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity a week. This year our aim is to get at least 30% of our people moving for at least 30 minutes a day.
Fit for You is powered by Energy Lab, a Belgian firm specialised in helping firms like ours support greater wellbeing among staff. This is the third year that we are running the programme.
Special Olympics (SO) organises sports activities for people with an intellectual disability (in contrast to the Paralympic Games which is for people with a physical disability). It costs the non-profit organisation 192 euros to support each SO athlete for one year, and this is not including costs for participating in events. Through our people’s efforts we raised enough money to support 50 Special Olympic athletes by reaching our target of 1 million logged kilometres!
For SO, taking part is more important than winning. Its motto is “let me win, but if I can't win, let me be brave in the attempt,” a sentiment which we believe mirrors the aim of our Fit for You programme.
Within the Fit for You programme we also offer a selected group (so-called PwC Heroes) the opportunity to participate in a life-changing programme. Over a period of six months they are coached to complete a quarter triathlon. A PwC Hero isn’t someone who already competes in their chosen sport or who can go out for a 10 or 20k run and barely break a sweat. A PwC Hero is someone who’d love to get fitter for whatever reason, but simply hasn’t yet found the right motivation. This programme can provide that motivation.
The Energy@PwC pilot programme is a 100-day commitment with the aim of increasing energy levels - emotional, physical and mental. In this pilot scheme a group of selected volunteers will attend inspirational sessions, activation moments and reflection points. The purpose is to build resilience and to connect physical health with mental wellbeing. With the help of experts like Elke Geraerts, Erik Franck and Paul Van den Bosch, our ambassadors will learn more about energy and they also get more insights by practising mindfulness and breathing techniques.
Weekly virtual yoga and pilates classes have become a fixture in the PwC calendar. We also work with Pulso, our Employee Assistance Programme supplier and Securex, who run workshops on stress and burnout.