Football legend Chris Kamara is calling for businesses to encourage team sports as new data shows they can cut sick days. Research, from Mercedes-Benz Vans, found 35% of business owners said staff are less likely to take days off sick when they play team sports, while half said team sports initiatives made their employees more productive.
Chris said: “Mercedes-Benz Vans has found that team sports reduces sick days at work and drives a better work culture. So the message is clear: Get out playing team sports. Being with friends, talking to people and making sure once you finish work you mix with others is so important, particularly for those who spend a lot of time working alone.
“I absolutely agree that more businesses should be encouraging team sports – and if they do this new research shows they are likely to see their productivity improve.”
It comes as Mercedes-Benz Vans marked the return of Vantasy Football – the UK’s only football tournament for van drivers. The tournament, which this year was hosted by Chris, brings teams of drivers and colleagues together in a bid to highlight the benefits of team sport to businesses and employees.
This year’s team from medical delivery firm Sciensus was managed by Ross Baxter, 61. Ross said, following the success of last year’s event, he and his colleagues set up their own five-a-side football competition and have since seen sick days fall by 17%.
He said: “I can’t explain how positive the players were after the tournament – they said it was fantastic to be a part of something bigger and build a bond with their colleagues. We’ve now set up our own annual Sciensus Soccer Saturday, and many of the teams who played together in that now play five-a-side every week.
“It’s created a real sense of community and team spirit, and the feedback has been fantastic. We’ve also seen a 17% reduction in sick days taken since the initiative began, and staff turnover has also fallen. We are really thrilled with how positive it has been.”
Last year, 149 million working days were lost due to illness or injury, while latest figures show sick leave and absence costs the UK £103bn per year.
Iain Forsyth, Managing Director of Mercedes-Benz Vans UK said: “It’s clear from our research that team sports are a huge benefit for van drivers – giving them both a way of relieving stress as well as a chance to connect with their team-mates. Our research shows 80% of van drivers say playing grassroots team sports has had a positive impact on their mental wellbeing, which in turn has a positive impact on their productivity and the role in the businesses they work for.
“The benefits for team-building and boosting morale are also a valuable insight for business owners. Physical and mental health are critical in any business that operates vans. I’m proud to be leading a business showing the benefits of team sports among our own employees and the businesses we work with.”
The Mercedes-Benz Vans research, which was compiled for their latest Under the Bonnet report, also found team sports had a wider impact on tackling stress and building team rapport. Over half of drivers said being in a team made up of work colleagues is the most powerful way of relieving tension and stress while a third said playing team sports with colleagues had changed their perception of a colleague in a positive way.
Workplace sport clubs were commonplace in Britain until the 1970s, with many of our best-known clubs tracing their origins back to workplace kickabouts. Manchester United were originally Newton Heath LYR, a side from a Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway depot, while Arsenal started as a team of armaments workers from the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, South London.
