With research indicating that employees are increasingly desk bound and restricting their break times to compensate for work pressures, Center Parcs is encouraging human resources departments and event planners to look outside the confines of the UK’s traditional meeting and events venues.
Contrary to daily office life where less then 33 percent leave the building for fresh air and the majority are desk bound, Center Parcs is capitalizing on its acreage and enlightening decision makers on the benefits of fresh air to employees’ welfare and learning. With 8 out of 10 employees taking less than 30 minutes for lunch and over a fifth of people in employment working more than 45 hours a week, the packages allow HR departments to maximize employee well-being while balancing work pressures, maximizing productivity, and maintaining morale.
A Department of Health white paper, Choosing Health, states: “A motivated, healthy workforce is more likely to perform well, and employees and employers benefit from improved morale, reduced absenteeism, lower retention, and improved productivity.”
The Center Parcs meeting and team-building offering is set to help organizations and their corporate responsibilities in the workplace; balancing the need for personal development with physical health of employees.
Each designed to include a half-day meeting and choice of afternoon activity, the packages comprise the “Challenge Package,” which includes an afternoon of activities on the low ropes, the “Initiative Package,” which includes afternoon orienteering and problem solving, and lastly the “Pamper Package,” which includes an afternoon in the onsite spa.
Ian Linley, head of corporate sales for Center Parcs commented: “Training and development is widely recognized as a means of employee retention and often takes place in a hotel or venue for anything from 1–5 days. Such courses are often compulsory, but thought must also be given to delegate welfare while they are studying. Rooms with natural daylight are no longer enough; delegates need space to relax at their own pace and fresh air that helps to rejuvenate not only their bodies but the mind, too.”
