Research indicates an average of 5.9 sick days are taken per person every year, with 40% of sick days taken in the West Midlands relating to a mental health problem. In total, £1.7 billion is lost each year across the West Midlands as a result of poor workplace wellbeing and its impact on productivity.

Kaido aims to kickstart the conversation around health and wellbeing in the workplace, helping employers to implement a dedicated health and wellbeing programme and in turn create a more positive and productive place to work. Their inclusive Wellbeing Challenges are designed to engage employees with their health and wellbeing in a fun and interactive way, focusing on physical activity, mental health, nutrition and sleep.

Individually, or as part of self-selected teams, employees earn Kaido Points for positive improvements they make to their lifestyle. These points fuel their progress along a virtual journey, unlocking milestones and rewards. As the challenge progresses, they are signposted to relevant health and wellbeing resources and activities to support them in building long-term and sustainable healthy habits.

Earlier in 2019, Kaido and Sport Birmingham launched the Birmingham Workplace Wellbeing Challenge, engaging a range of businesses of all types and sizes in the city, including KPMG, HSBC and Prescient Business. Of employees who took part in the challenge:

· 89.5% noticed an improvement in their health

· 66% had positive conversations about health and wellbeing at work

· 22% felt less stressed

· 98.1% would take part in a future challenge

2020’s West Midlands Workplace Wellbeing Challenge will run for six weeks, from Monday 10th February 2020, and is open to businesses of all sizes and sectors in the region. Every participating business will receive a post-challenge engagement report and an Investors in Wellbeing certification.

The Challenge is also accessible to participants of Thrive at Work, a health and wellbeing programme led by West Midlands Combined Authority.

Rich Westman, Chief Executive of Kaido said: “Businesses who make employee wellbeing a core part of their culture benefit from happier, healthier, and more productive employees who they retain for longer. Workplace wellbeing is for everyone; whether you’re a business with 3 employees or 300. We are passionate about helping employers of all sizes and in all sectors start positive conversations about workplace health and wellbeing, and the West Midlands Workplace Wellbeing Challenge is a great opportunity for us to do this.”

Mike Chamberlain, Chief Executive of Sport Birmingham, said: “The Kaido Workplace Wellbeing programme offers a comprehensive and fun solution to discover and maintain healthy practices both within and outside of the workplace. It complements our objectives as a charity to raise awareness of the local activities and resources available to achieve a healthier lifestyle, and we also see the Kaido platform being a key tool in helping us to deliver against our ‘Thrive at Work’ commitments.”

Paul Faulkner, Chief Executive of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and Chair of Trustees at Sport Birmingham, added: “The West Midlands Workplace Wellbeing Challenge is a really important initiative for businesses in the region. The statistics from the Challenge in Birmingham demonstrate the hugely positive impact that improved health and wellbeing can have in the workplace, and I’m delighted that Sport Birmingham and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce are supporting this year’s Challenge in the West Midlands.

“I’d encourage businesses of all sizes and sectors to get involved, and get their employees engaged in health and wellbeing in a fun and interactive way.”