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It should be possible when you're working from home: sports during the day and catching up on work in the evenings or on weekends. Especially now that the gyms and sports associations are closed at 5 p.m. due to the corona measures in the Netherlands. Even without a pandemic, it is healthy behaviour, say researchers Anne van der Put and Evelien van Leeuwen, affiliated with the Future of Work hub of Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ. Employers can set a good example for this.

I regularly enter an online meeting with wet hair, says Evelien van Leeuwen, who is doing PhD research in human resource management and organisational psychology. People sometimes ask me if I have exercised again. Sometimes I get a compliment. A professor told me that he really liked that I exercise during the day. As researchers we have flexible working hours, but according to him very few employees make use of these.

I regularly enter an online meeting with wet hair, making use of our flexible working hours.

Good for productivity 

Don't underestimate the power of a clear head. Healthy people and people who exercise a lot are more productive because they have better cognitive abilities, are better able to deal with stress, they feel better and are less tired, says Anne van der Put. She is conducting research for her PhD as a sociologist into the relationship between health and work, especially health promotion within organisations. Exercising during work is a nice break, allowing people to recharge. We know from research that a good balance between being busy and sufficient recovery moments is important, for example for well-being and productivity. Sport can contribute to this.

People who exercise regularly are more productive, better able to deal with stress and feel less tired.

There are big differences between how companies feel about this and there are individual differences between people, but since people more often work from home due to COVID, it can be easier to exercise more during the day. That has several benefits, says Van Leeuwen, who is researching the sustainable employability of medical professionals at the UMC Utrecht. Companies that encourage sports and in which employees exercise regularly, for example through programmes offered by the company, see among employees.

Employer who cares about you

Some studies report that the productivity benefits are even higher than the health benefits, adds Van der Put.

The reason why sports programmes in companies seem to reduce absenteeism is that absenteeism in particular has been studied, other outcomes much less. Overall it indeed seems positive for things like absenteeism, work ability, job satisfaction, productivity. Not only the use of worksite health promotion, but also just knowing these programmes exist can be positive. A kind of reciprocity in the relationship: if your employer is concerned about you, you experience this as positive and you are willing to do more for the organisation yourself.

Show it, set a good example

With the current corona measures, many teams may raise the topic of exercise during the day. It is important to discuss this with your colleagues, but it is also very important as an employer to give the signal that this is okay, says Anne van der Put. I know that my supervisors sometimes go for a walk or run during working hours, so I feel less burdened doing this myself. Employees often feel guilty towards their colleagues when they exercise between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Employees often feel guilty towards their colleagues when they exercise between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Or they see their work as a priority, but they do not acknowledge that it is also important to find the right balance between rest and work. Some people take too few breaks, for example. This came to light in recent research by my colleagues and me into worksite health promotion and working from home People do want to participate in healthy activities, but less so if they are working from home a lot. Then they want to show their commitment to the work.

Is corona a game changer? An accelerator of behaviour?

Working from home means that many people save time now they no longer need to commute to work, but that does not mean that people spend that time on sports. In general, exercise has decreased in times of corona, notes Van der Put. So even though working from home makes it easier, people don't necessarily do it anymore.

Sports should be fully encouraged right now. In 2020, only 52.9% of Dutch people aged 18 and older met physical activity standards.

Evelien van Leeuwen: In current government policy, there is little emphasis on healthy living and sports, I think. The corona policy is very focused on cure and little on prevention, while healthy people have a better immune system and less chance of serious illness as a result of COVID-19. Sports should now be fully encouraged instead of discouraged. The World Health Organisation recommends that people do at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise, such as walking or cycling, spread over several days. In 2020, only 52.9% of Dutch people aged 18 and older met this requirement!

The supporting manager

Are flexible working hours and exercising during the day the future? That depends on the sector and the type of work, but according to the researchers you can see that standard working hours are being abandoned here and there and that there is more focus on results.

Anne van der Put: Some managers are still very much focused on hours, because they don't trust the employees. It also works differently for people who are billing their hours to customers: they still want to fulfill their agreements. Van Leeuwen: I think that more employers will continue to use flexible working hours after the pandemic, because they now experience it is not necessary to continuously monitor what employees are doing. Employees can often handle these freedoms well. To attract employees, it helps if you have a flexible time policy and are positive towards people who have a healthy lifestyle and want to exercise a lot.