Exercising and meditating
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Marthijn Koorn
Commercial Director
The first evaluation shows that employees are excited about Pentas’ extensive vitality programme. They feel fitter and thanks to physiotherapy, long-term physical complaints are resolved more quickly. 360 FIT is the name of this physical and mental health programme. It indicates that Pentas – a company specialising in rotational molding – is also about feeling fit.
About the reason for starting the 360 FIT programme, director-owner Marthijn Koorn says, “Now that everyone has to work longer and longer, it is even more important that employees remain in good shape. We employ 130 people with a passion for technology. That is a wealth of talent, experience and commitment that we cherish. That is why we like to contribute to health and well-being. In addition to the fact that low absenteeism is very important to us, job satisfaction and solidarity have always been pivotal as far as we are concerned. Delivering a team effort, that has been the motto of our family business for 47 years. And now we also do that during the vitality training programmes.”
Improve your mental and physical health during working hours
Pentas invests heavily in the vitality of its employees. And makes time, space, sportswear, equipment, professional guidance and physiotherapy available. For six months now, Pentas’ employees have been able to improve their mental and physical health during working hours with, for example, strength training or relaxation/meditation programmes. People are also made aware of the usefulness of exercise in a playful way. For example, by illustrating at the stairs that you burn 0.17 calories with each step, so when you are at the top you have already burned more than 2 calories.
Employees are excited
According to the first evaluation, employees are excited about the programme. The reactions are all positive. “It’s nice to clear my head and then I go back to work feeling energetic.” “It’s nice that I can exercise.” “It helps me to function better.” “I am happy that I can exercise during working hours.” “A short break and you get to know your colleagues in a different way.” “”Nice to join in.” “I now live more consciously and I have already lost weight.” “I can already move the belt up two holes.” Thanks to the physiotherapy through my work, my knee no longer bothers me.” “I feel really fitter during the week.” “It’s great that I can work out during working hours!”
Choose from three programmes
In the 360 FIT programme at Pentas, employees can choose from three programmes. The Core programme lasts 30 minutes, during which core stability is tackled for a stronger upper body and better posture. The Intensive programme involves 60 minutes and is dedicated to physical condition, strength and overall fitness. The Relax programme lasts 30 minutes and is a mix of relaxation exercises for body and mind. Including breathing, yoga, meditation and tai chi. Employees are allowed to spend one hour each week during working hours on the 360 FIT programme.
Developed based on employees’ needs
Family business Pentas has been characterised since the start in 1975 by great mutual involvement and a pleasant working atmosphere.The focus is increasingly also on vitality. For example, employees have been getting help to quit smoking for years, the company organises popular running competitions and mountain bike tours and, of course, fruit is also served in the canteen. With a survey, Pentas investigated what else it can do for employees to be a perfect employer. The vitality programme has been developed from the needs that emerged during this survey.
Professional guidance by TopSport Connect
Pentas works together with TopSport Connect for professional guidance with the 360 FIT programme. This company uses the lessons from top sport and deploys (former) top athletes to make people in organisations more mentally and physically healthy. It is not just about sustainable employability or higher productivity. Annemarie Heuvel, initiator of TopSport Connect, comments on the importance of a healthy lifestyle, “We know better than ever how important vitality is for sustainable employability and happiness at work. And in our vision we take things to the next level. It also has positive impact on creativity and innovation. In our approach, we ensure that employees have a choice, that they support it themselves and regularly get the right push in the right direction. We can see that our vision and approach align well with Pentas’ motto called ‘a team effort’.”
About Pentas
Pentas is one of the most advanced companies in Europe dedicatd to producing customer-specific plastic products through mold construction and rotational moulding. The company has 130 employees, is located in Almelo (the Netherlands) and has 11 rotational molding machines and 9 milling machines. Since its foundation in 1975, the company sees technology as the basis. And through continuous innovation, the products are becoming lighter and more durable. In addition, the company was one of the first entrepreneurs in Almelo to generate the energy required for production with more than 1600 top-roof solar panels. And by focusing on efficiency, Pentas reduces the use of raw materials and energy. This is sustainable for the environment and the relationship with customers. Quality is inextricably linked to this. The products meet the highest quality requirements, which is why renowned companies in the German manufacturing industry, such as Daimler, Siemens, Claas and Hymer, have embraced Pentas for decades.
