Sweat Capital – Winnipeg Free Press

In a world where work often trumps well-being, one Winnipeg business owner is reshaping the landscape by investing in the health and happiness of his employees.

Justin Thor's passion for plumbing extends beyond pipes and faucets to fostering a culture of wellness by building a state-of-the-art gym for his team at Thor Plumbing & Heating.

The journey to prioritize employee health began with a simple realization: the demanding nature of retail work often takes a toll on the body and mind.

“Most of us are between the ages of 20 and 35, and we work in very physical jobs,” says Thor, who ran the family business in 2021. “Being out there is physically demanding, so it's important to stay in shape. »

In a demanding industry, Thor wanted to do something to support his team. He saw with his own eyes that the paid trade work took its employees.

Long hours, heavy lifting and extreme conditions were par for the course leading to exhaustion, stress and frequent injuries.

“Exercise is definitely one of the areas we like to encourage because a healthy body is associated with a healthy mind,” he says.

In keeping with his company's recent initiative to prioritize health and wellness, Thor had his team convert 1,000 square feet of corporate office space into a gym and sauna that all employees could use whether they were in or out of the office. in the field.

The gym was officially opened last year.

“Our philosophy was that it should be the best commercial gym equipment. If a team is going to take the time to come in and use it, it's got to be top notch,” he says.

Together with her office managing partner Christina Tor, she set out to provide her team with the tools they need to live a healthy and happy life.

“It's cold and dark all year round in Winnipeg, which makes it hard to stay mentally and physically fit. The more we can provide to our team to keep them happy and healthy, the better,” he says.

“We take a long-term view of our business and understand that the better the health and well-being of our team, the better it is for our company.”

Unlike the United States, where workplace wellness is seen as a solution to health insurance costs, Canada takes a different approach to the concept.

In 2018, researchers at McGill University evaluated a workplace wellness program that included health awareness initiatives and a web-based e-health platform and asked participants to track their activity over the course of a year.

Results showed significant improvements in systolic blood pressure and reductions in poor sleep quality, high emotional stress, and fatigue among participants who completed a second health assessment after the first year.

“These improvements in physical and mental health measurements are clinically significant,” says Dr. Steven Grover, senior author of the study.

“We were also able to show a dose-response effect, where the employees who participated the most also had the greatest improvement.”

The goal of workplace wellness is to optimize each employee's daily energy and focus, says Mary Ann Baynton, director of collaboration and strategy for workplace strategies for mental health, a free public resource funded by Canada Life.

“If an employer supports the financial, physical and mental well-being of their employees, they will get the best possible effort from their employees. If we only focus on what to do when someone is ill, sick or injured, we are missing an opportunity to prevent illness and injury, as well as improve well-being,” he says.

Justin Thor invested about $175,000 in building the gym, including new equipment and a sauna. About half of its 65 employees use the gym regularly. He was amazed at their motivation, he says.

“We started a training session last March that starts at 5 in the morning. When we started doing this, more people came. Everyone creates a scheme designed by Christina; he creates a new design for the team every working day. And people started using the office gym at lunchtime. “After three or four months, some people started using it in the evening,” he says.

Brandon Gray, one of the company's project managers, moved from the field to the office in 2022. Field workers can get more out of using the gym, he says.

“Being in the field is physically very hard work. You have to use your body all the time and strength is definitely an asset. “Field workers lift and use their bodies in certain ways, and using a gym benefits them because they can do their jobs more efficiently and safely,” he says.

According to a 2023 report released by Environics Research as part of a Canadian survey, companies that successfully implement wellness initiatives report greater job satisfaction, a positive work environment, increased productivity and better retention.

Baynton agrees, stressing the importance of companies engaging with their employees and asking for their needs. It is very important for us to feel who we are and what we do, he says.

This concept stems from the work of Dr. Isaac Prilleltensky, former dean of the University of Miami's School of Education and Human Development. Throughout his career, Prilleltensky explored the concept of “materiality” and its impact on our ability to live a fulfilling life.

“In some workplaces, this importance may be expressed in the gym, while in other workplaces, it may be expressed through team meetings where your input is valued. Whatever it is, it will be unique to the needs of your employees. What makes your employees feel important to you? Because if they are important to you, you will be important to them as an employer,” says Baynton.

For Justin Thor, employee wellness is also about mental health. Acknowledging the prevalence of stress and burnout in the trade, he hopes these initiatives will help create a more conducive work environment.

“It's like any relationship, you have to put in the work and effort to make it work. If you want these relationships to form, you need spaces for them. Whether you're hosting after-work parties or creating spaces like a gym, it'll give people more opportunities to chat and make memories. This is the goal,” he says.

The next phase of the company's renovation will begin this summer with the construction of a new 5,000 square meter resort. This space will be open to both employees and their families and will include golf simulators, a putting green, pool tables and arcade games.

They plan to organize barbecues and family days where group members can bring their children, Christina Thor said.

“We're finding that things are becoming more expensive for people and families can't afford certain things. This new reactor facility is our answer to that,” he says.

“We try to support our team and give them a chance to make memories.”

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