JIS Staff Benefit From Health and Wellness Offerings

Staff at the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) benefitted from several health and wellness offerings as part of the agency’s ongoing thrust to promote good health among workers.

Through partnership with Jamaica Fitness Association (Jamfit), the JIS, on Tuesday, September 15, hosted a Company Tour at its head office in Kingston, aimed at exposing employees to information on how to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Director of Jamfit, Karelle Jones, who conducted a lively session on the benefits of exercise, provided tips on how staff can keep fit while at work.

“You can get up and do some stretches and get some blood pumping through your system. This is especially good if they are sitting for most of the day. The chair can give you a full body workout…and makes a big difference,” she advised.

Employees were also treated to samples of several products from sponsors of the event including Cari-Med and Adidas.

Human Resource Director at JIS, Bernita Locke, said the aim of the Company Tour was to promote a healthy lifestyle among employees with the hope that it would have a spillover effect on their families.

“Promoting a healthy lifestyle among employees [is] not just [about] employees but their families, because if they practise good habits at work, then it becomes a part of their lifestyle at home,” she said.

“We had no reservations about accommodating Jamfit and helping to promote this initiative,” she added.

Special Projects Officer at JIS, Christine Ade-Gold, welcomed the staging of the event and the wellness offerings.

“I think it’s great. Good health is being promoted and… the initiative is good. If persons are not well and have to continuously take sick leave that means a lower level of production for the company. So if we increase how much we put into our health…it definitely impacts us and it impacts the company positively,” she shared.

Several employees registered for Jamfit’s Fitness Week activities set for November 2-7 including its Corporate Sports Day and Fitness Challenge.

A total of 43 companies are expected to participate in this year’s Company Tour, which runs from September 7 to October 31.