A big void in a small group

Personnel planner Henna Hukkasen had a challenging puzzle on her desk in September: how to find refreshing, jointly scheduled activities in the form of outdoor activities and exercise for colleagues who have different work shifts and the challenge of breaking away from their work tasks.

There were not a few co-workers, as Polkka oy., which provides catering, facility maintenance and cleaning services for the provincial Siu sote municipal association and the city of Joensuu, employs more than 500 employees.

Due to the autumn corona season, Polka wanted to skip big mass events.

"We thought that the teams could do something nice together in groups of 5–10 people", says Hukkanen.

Fatbike, eco shooting or something else?

In the end, the solution was simple. The employees gathered in small groups and on the days they chose at the Kontiolahti Biathlon Stadium.

With the large number of employees, there was a long list of alternative days available from October to November. For the two-hour program, you could choose between fatbike cycling, eco-gun shooting, forest jogging, low ropes course, frisbee golf or cross-country skiing lessons on the first snow slope.

"We try to think of something new every year and develop our operations. We have been satisfied with the cooperation that has now started", says Polka's Finance and HR Director Juha-Matti Juurikainen.

New experiences and recovery

Henna Hukkanen says that the staff gave very positive feedback about the new arrangement.

“Many were able to try sports that they would never otherwise know how to try. It was great to hear how nice and a little exciting it was to jump on a fatbike for the first time and notice what a great experience it was."

In addition to comprehensive occupational health care, Polkka offers its employees wellness benefits through ePass. They can be used for various wellness and health services, such as massages, health check-up packages, dentist visits or exercise services.

The employer's welfare investments have paid off, says Juha-Matti Juurikainen.

“Skill development, coping at work and recovery have been our priority areas and we have received positive feedback in personnel surveys. The results encourage us to continue investing year after year."