I will not be at work tomorrow because I will be riding my bike with my friends. No, I am not in the 5th grade, I am the team captain of Two Wrong Turns – my team for the 2008 Trek Across Maine.
The team is made up of myself, my sister Jennifer, her husband John, and our friends Kristen and Merri-Beth. We are just five of the over 2,200 cyclists who will be riding their bikes from Sunday River to Belfast this coming weekend. In doing so we are raising money for the American Lung Association of Maine.
I was browsing the list of teams today and noticed that a large number of them are corporate. The Loan Rangers of Kennebec Savings Bank has 48 members and has raised over $34,000. Cianbro has 22 and has raised over $15,000 and Team DeLorme has 27 and has raised over $14,000. What a fun thing to do as a company!
Here at the Press Herald/MaineToday we have our own version of the Summer Olympics. We track how many minutes of exercise we do each week and the team with the most minutes wins some sort of prize. One of my coworkers is also doing the trek so with our combined peddling prowess I think our team is a sure bet to win the Olympics.
A healthy worker is a happy worker – and they’re more productive. Companies know this and thus have been trying to promote exercise programs, especially during the summer months when it’s easy to be outside. The Trek is not only a good way to get fit and support a worthy cause, but it’s also a great team building exercise. Relationships can be built between people who would never work together otherwise. Plus you have a built in cheering section.
www.MaineBusiness.com
Related Stories: | Topics:Leadership, Management, Work/Life, Maine, MaineBusiness.com, Trek Across Maine, Belfast, American Lung Association, Kennebec Savings Bank, Loan Rangers, Sports |
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Recent Comments | 6 Total
June 12, 2008 at 1:26pm by Edward Sussman
Should a company have the right to penalize or fire an employee who they feel is risking their health through activities like smoking, drinking or overeating?
June 12, 2008 at 1:32pm by Melanie Brooks
Interesting question...I don't think a company has the right to penalize or fire an employee for risking their health unless their work is being compromised because of it. If an employee comes into work everyday hung over or is taking too many smoke breaks then sure, they should be penalized for their behavior.
June 13, 2008 at 9:17pm by Elizabeth Roberts
This is a touchy subject in a lot of companies these days. For those that are self insured, like the corporation that I was with for 14 years, it is in their best interest to have healthy employees; however when penalizing people for what they do in their own time is where the touchy part comes in.
A lot of companies are offering bonuses to employees that quick smoking and lose weight which I think is in the best interest of the company and the employee. However, would it be considered discrimination if someone with a thyroid problem, for example, could not lose weight and lost their job because of it? I can answer my own question, yes it would be.
The only thing I know of concerning drinking is that companies will offer rehabilitation services to alcoholics IF they ask for it BEFORE they are called on the carpet for poor job performance. Drinking, in my opinion, seems to be socially acceptable in the corporate world though.
June 16, 2008 at 6:38pm by Chelsea Levesque
A company should only have the right to penalize or fire an employee if his or her work is effected by their unhealthiness.
June 17, 2008 at 6:28pm by Mark Salinas
If the company provides notice to an employee that their unhealthy actions are having a negative affect on others.Then normal company procedures should be consistently followed regardless of the issue (verbal warnings, written warnings etc.).