Corporate Administrative and Financial Manager, trained in the Yogist method for preventing work-related disability
A woman of action and conviction, Isabelle Gabriac, Head of Administration and Finance, has been implementing the Yogist – Well At Work® method at VINCI Energies for the past two years.
While she leads workshops in offices and executive committees alike, it is particularly among construction site workers and those in warehouses and workshops that the method has proven highly effective in combating the effects of physically demanding work, heavy lifting, and repetitive motions—and the associated health risks for employees.
Here is his account of the workers on the construction site and their relationship with Yogist breaks
We face specific challenges with workers on construction sites: everything related to being deemed unfit for work. In other words, after a while, the work takes its toll on people on the site; and even though we’ve done a lot to lighten their workload, they’re deemed unfit for work by occupational health services. This means they can’t finish their careers!
So we figure that it’s with these people that we’ll see the impact of Yogist breaks on the number of absences. Maybe we can push back the age at which they’re diagnosed a little. These are also the people who keep asking for these Yogist workshops. So I figure that if I can find four or five foremen who’ll take ownership of the Yogist sessions—realizing that it works for them—and who can try to incorporate them into the first five minutes of their workday…
…At that point, we’ll have taken a step forward. Because we don’t realize it, but of course they’re thrilled when I come in the morning with breakfast. But I’d like them to take ownership of it now. Like anything else, it has to become a habit, like brushing your teeth; telling yourself in the morning, “Okay, I need to get my body moving; I need to take the time, take five minutes for myself, so my day will be a little easier.” Maybe doing little Yogist breaks before lunch, or stretching before leaving the construction site…
“I believe that people are embracing the Yogist method, and perhaps it’s also this new generation that’s a bit more demanding when it comes to their quality of life at work.”
Watch Stéphanie's testimonial in this video:
