For Danton HR Ltd, a HR consultancy based in Bromsgrove, the starting point was a challenge familiar to many office-based workplaces: too much of the working day was being spent sitting at a desk. The team spends significant periods in virtual meetings, producing reports and managing client casework, and through staff feedback, team discussions and observation of working patterns, the organisation identified prolonged sedentary working as an important wellbeing issue. Staff were experiencing back and neck discomfort, fatigue and reduced energy, alongside limited opportunities to move during the working day.
Support from Worcestershire County Council Public Health’s Workplace Employee Wellbeing Grant enabled the business to take a practical approach to tackling this. Rather than wellbeing being something separate from the working day, the aim was to make movement easier and more accessible as part of everyday working.
The team created opportunities for more active working through standing desks, walking pads and bicycle desks, alongside weekly yoga sessions delivered by a qualified instructor. The sessions were designed to be inclusive, with accessible approaches including chair-based yoga, so employees could participate regardless of their fitness level or physical ability. Staff were also encouraged to take shorter, regular movement breaks and vary their posture throughout the day.
The changes have already helped to shift everyday working habits. Employees are moving more frequently, changing posture and making greater use of movement breaks. The organisation has reported fewer instances of back, neck and shoulder discomfort, alongside improved energy and concentration and reduced fatigue during the working day.
The project has had a wider influence too. Taking time to move and step away from the desk has become more normal within the workplace, opening up conversations about wellbeing and encouraging informal group stretching, sharing wellbeing tips and greater consideration of workload and regular breaks within team discussions.
The impact is perhaps best captured by the employees themselves. Natalie Cutler said:
Seema Rushton also described the benefit of creating genuine space to pause during a busy working day:
Crucially, the project has been designed to continue beyond the initial grant support. The active-working equipment is a permanent part of the workplace and will remain available to employees each day. As the yoga programme continues, staff are also developing stretches and techniques they can use independently, helping them build movement into their working routines for the longer term.
Senior leaders and managers will continue to encourage movement and regular breaks, with prompts and active working becoming part of normal team routines. The learning has been simple but important: providing equipment alone is not enough. Lasting change comes from leadership support, encouragement and making small, manageable wellbeing behaviours an accepted part of everyday working life.
Find out more through the Workplace Employee Wellbeing Grants | Worcestershire County Council page.