ICC
A Week of Wellness at Work: The ICC’s Perspective
We spoke with the human resources team at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Yogist’s program took place over four days in September: a conference presented by Anne-Charlotte Vuccino, founder and CEO of Yogist, followed by three Yogist workshops. François Dréan, Internal Communications and Diversity & Inclusion Officer, kindly agreed to answer our questions.
In what business context did you decide to use Yogist – Well At Work?
Response from François Dréan:
ICC has approximately 300 employees. The workload is very intense, so management has decided to pay closer attention to workplace well-being, in line with the culture of care that is so important to our organization.
So we organized an in-house wellness week, which we wanted to be as inclusive as possible, so that it would be accessible both at our headquarters in Paris and in our offices abroad. Ninety percent of our workforce is based in Paris, which means that employees based abroad can feel left out. We therefore wanted solutions in English that were accessible to everyone.
In addition, we deliberately chose to hold the wellness workshops during work hours. The idea is to let our employees know that it’s okay to take time for themselves during work hours. We felt this was essential to firmly embed this concept in our corporate culture.
How did you hear about Yogist?
Response from François Dréan:
For this in-house wellness week, we had several ideas in mind: breakfast events, fitness classes (Zumba, yoga, etc.), and guest speakers. So we started searching online for vendors who could meet our needs.
As for Yogist, it just so happens that one of us, Floriane Stefanello—our HR manager—had come across Yogist in her previous job. So it was only natural that she recommended it to us, particularly the “Well At Work” game, which she really liked for its collaborative aspect.
How did Yogist's presentation at ICC go?
Response from François Dréan:
Yogist’s presentation was scheduled in two parts: the week before our corporate wellness program, we had planned a keynote speech by Anne-Charlotte Vuccino. The goal was to introduce the initiative and encourage our employees to attend the workshops scheduled for the following week. Unfortunately, Anne-Charlotte contracted COVID-19 and had to cancel her appearance. We therefore rescheduled her talk for the day before the three Yogist workshops. A good hundred employees were able to attend this first session.
The first workshop required participants to be present at our offices for the Well At Work game. The next two workshops were held virtually so that our overseas offices could participate. We gave everyone the option to turn off their cameras so they could feel comfortable participating.
How did employees react to the Yogist method?
Response from François Dréan:
Overall, Yogist’s presentation was very well received by our employees. We saw this not only during the presentation itself, but also through our internal satisfaction survey.
We received very positive feedback on the wellness week as a whole, with very high satisfaction ratings for Anne-Charlotte Vuccino’s keynote speech, the Yogist workshop facilitator, and the Yogist workshops themselves.
In response to the question, “Which elements of Wellness Week will you incorporate into your daily routine?”, the relaxation exercises led by Yogist came out on top. We are currently exploring ways to make this Yogist program a permanent feature, so that it can be integrated into a broader program to be implemented throughout the year.
“I loved the Yogist workshop on Tuesday because it offered solutions specifically designed for office work. I also really enjoyed the yoga session on Thursday—and I usually hate yoga!!”
Were there any specific aspects of Yogist’s program that your employees particularly appreciated?
Response from François Dréan:
We received positive feedback both verbally and through the satisfaction survey. During the pre-conference session, Anne-Charlotte shared her background and gave a preview of a few exercises. Everyone in attendance participated enthusiastically and engaged throughout the session.
During the Yogist workshops, our employees learned new exercises to help them relax and find rest when their minds are still racing and they can’t fall asleep at night. They also appreciated learning breathing exercises to help them wake up when they hit that mid-afternoon slump caused by digestion. All the exercises covered with Yogist were practical enough to help them in their day-to-day work lives.
We believe this week marks a good start to encourage them to participate more in future sessions. Some employees were unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts, while others thought (wrongly) that they would be doing an actual yoga session. It’s a matter of internal culture and getting employees used to this kind of initiative. In any case, we have received several requests to repeat these sessions.
Would you recommend Yogist – Well At Work to other companies interested in workplace wellness? Why, in particular?
Response from François Dréan:
We had a great rapport with Anne-Charlotte Vuccino. There’s a real story behind the creation of Yogist—we can really relate to that human touch and that passion.
For us, Yogist stands out from similar offerings because it allows us to truly build something sustainable over the long term, with a variety of options: – the ability to have in-house certified Yogist instructors, – the diversity of exercises, – the ability to offer exercises tailored to both large and small groups
In addition, since ICC has employees from about 50 different countries, we needed the presentation to be in English.
