A remarkable health-and-wellbeing programme is making waves across the world, and Nestlé UK is very much a part of it. The company’s Chief Executive wants to see over one third of the company’s workforce pull their socks up (literally), snug their feet into a pair of shoes, and walk at least 14,000 steps daily over the next four months.

With its emphasis on walking, Nestlé seems more determined than ever to retain its title of the ‘most active global company in the world’ a notable achievement that it gained last year by beating over 900 other companies. Paul Grimwood, Nestlé UK CEO, commented in this regard that the best way to improve productivity and efficiency at the workplace is to stay fit and active. Health is indeed a good investment for any company, and one of the easiest ways to ensure good health of employees is by seeing that they keep on their feet most of the time.

The Global Corporate Challenge (GCC) is an ambitious project that monitors corporate health and involves business organisations from around the world in its drive to achieve overall workplace health and wellbeing. Chosen teams from global companies are challenged to complete a virtual trek around the globe in 125 days, keeping an individual goal of 10,000 strides per day. Each person straps a GCC pedometer to monitor his daily walking levels on a website. This year GCC has witnessed an active participation of over 800 teams from across the world, with Nestlé UK alone having 255 teams.

Employees at Nestlé have been finding time out of their nine-to-seven jobs to walk. They are doing this through innovative ways such as having meetings whilst out walking, taking customers out for a walk in the open rather than stepping with them into a restaurant, and choosing the stairs over the elevator. Dr David Batman, Nestlé’s head of employee wellness, commented that while other companies are following the policy of ‘no recess during recession’ and making their staffs sit and work, Nestlé is acting as an exception and making its employees stand up and walk their way to a better and healthy life. A company that offers courses with training and support for your organisation in attaining its health and safety objectives, such as the NEBOSH General Certificate, is Workplace Law Training.