Re-energizing the Workforce Made Easy with New Instant Recess Toolkit Provided by KEEN

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, KEEN, Inc., the manufacturer of hybrid outdoor casual footwear, bags and socks, released the Instant Recess® Toolkit, developed by UCLA's Dr. Toni Yancey and made available for free by KEEN. This resource is a handy tool to help employers of all sizes easily implement daily activity breaks at work, which KEEN has coined "recess." The new Instant Recess Toolkit, which was designed to help improve workplace health and productivity, and re-energize employees, is available now in a free download at corptoolkit.keenfootwear.com.

The Toolkit also includes the first-ever calculator for employers to track the benefits of recess and compute their return on investment, such as employee attendance and productivity. To calculate your recess returns visit calculator.keenfootwear.com.  "If employers offered and encouraged a paid activity break during the day, it would offer a real return on investment for them -- delivering $1.50 - $2.00 for every dollar spent implementing the program, according to our estimates," explains Dr. Yancey, author of "Instant Recess:  Building a Fit Nation 10 Minutes at a Time," co-director of the Center for Health Equity and professor of health services at UCLA.  

"Workplace recess can benefit both employers and employees by helping to get people moving who spend so much time sitting and attached to their electronics, at a time when obesity rates continue to grow," said Dr. Yancey. "Through workplace studies I've conducted with my team, the results clearly demonstrate that short activity breaks during the day, are beneficial for one's physical and mental health, improving productivity and aiding in arresting weight gain."  Dr. Yancey has already jump-started Instant Recess programs in the workplace with organizations including Kaiser Permanente, South Bay Health Center, Henry Ford Health Systems, and UCLA Health Systems.  The Toolkit also cites supportive evaluation research from LL Bean, Pausa Para tu Salud of the Mexican Ministry of Health, Replacements, Ltd., Westinghouse Plant, and the Danish Public Administration Authority.

The Instant Recess Toolkit can be downloaded by human resource managers, wellness coordinators, small business owners or anyone interested in starting workplace recess. The Instant Recess Toolkit provides all the information and resources one needs to start implementing a program at their workplace. The Toolkit includes step-by-step advice for establishing Instant Recess as an organization's initiative with tips for success, a recess score card, ideas for daily recess activities, a recess calculator, as well as in-house promotional materials that take a playful approach to encourage recess, such as posters and downloadable door hangers encouraging recess breaks.  

James Curleigh, CEO and Chief Recess Officer at KEEN, recalls recess from childhood: "Remember when recess was the best part of your day? It's time to bring that fun time back! Working adults deserve a break from the daily grind to get outside, breathe the fresh air and play!"  Curleigh believes "instituting short recess breaks is a simple, commonsense approach for our workforce to re-energize while working, improve health and productivity and promote a positive work environment for all."

While the concept of recess is new to most working adults, a recent study that KEEN commissioned from Harris Interactive revealed that more than half (53%) of the 1,099 U.S. adults surveyed who are employed full-time, indicated that if a 10-minute "recess" outdoor break was initiated at their workplaces every day, it would make them healthier, happier or more productive employees.  In addition, 44 percent of full-time employed adults indicated that they would participate in recess if it were offered at their workplace, with the greatest interest among women (53 percent) and Millennials (51 percent).

"I commend KEEN for leading by example and bringing workplace recess to life for all. The company practices what its CEO and initiative preaches at the company's headquarters in Portland, where employees are encouraged and enabled to participate in recess through its Recess Hub," added Yancey.   KEEN's Recess Hub offers a recess tracker to tally time spent at recess, a detailed map of nearby recess spots, a place to share their tips for taking recess and favorite recess activities, and recess equipment such as Frisbees, yoga mats, hula hoops and bikes.

"In this new century we are instigating a movement to re-invent the next wave of corporate culture and recess can be a vital stimulant for competitive, effective, healthy and dynamic employee teams," said Curleigh. "We hope that companies and organizations that aspire to be great places to work will use the Instant Recess Toolkit to help create their own version of outdoor recess, ultimately making recess as common as casual Friday."

About KEEN

KEEN, Inc. manufactures hybrid outdoor and casual products, including footwear, bags and socks.  Founded in 2003 with the launch of the Newport sandal known for its patented toe protection technology, KEEN creates innovative and comfortable products that transition seamlessly from work to play, and enables people to pursue a Hybrid lifestyle: create, play and care.  Through its Hybrid.Care giving program, KEEN supports social and environmental organizations around the world.  The company recently launched the KEEN Recess Revolution, encouraging adults to take 10-minute outdoor "Recess" breaks every day to re-energize at work and be healthier and happier. Named one of "America's Best Places to Work" by Outside magazine, KEEN is headquartered in Portland, Ore. KEEN products are available in more than 5,000 retail locations in 60 countries. Discover more about KEEN at keenfootwear.com, facebook.com/keen and twitter.com/keen.

To learn more about KEEN's recess initiative, visit www.keenfootwear.com/recess.

SOURCE KEEN, Inc.