From May 1–16, UCOP employees who work in or visit Oakland’s Franklin Building participated in the Take the Stairs campaign – having fun competing for prizes while adding exercise to their workday.

The campaign featured three ways to get involved — a daily scavenger hunt, two floor challenge competitions and a survey — with prizes for participation in each activity.

With a big thank you to everyone who participated, UCOP’s Healthy Campus Network committee is pleased to announce the winners of prizes including massages, water bottles and gift certificates for the Fountain Café and High XII Café: John Barrett, Mary Carpentar, Ruchika Dhussa, Judy Hom, Elizabeth John, Jan Kehoe, Stefani Leto, Jiazhi Ma, Nilofeur Samuel, Jason Schupp, Clare Sheridan and Katherine Tam. 

Survey identified barriers to stair use, with ideas for improvement

Over 75 UCOP employees completed the Take the Stairs survey, offering valuable insights into what inspires employees to make healthy choices and what gets in the way.

Almost 60 percent of respondents already use the stairs at least once a day. Of those, almost half take the stairs for exercise, and 29 percent because it’s faster than waiting for the elevator.

Respondents did, though, note a number of barriers to taking the stairs. Mobility issues preclude stair use for some, while others reported that the stairs can be difficult to find, aren’t conveniently located or inviting, and can take more time than the elevators. To motivate increased use of the stairs and other healthy activities, participants recommended removing barriers when possible and increasing initiatives like this one, with fun incentives for healthy choices.

UCOP’s Healthy Campus Network committee is hard at work looking for opportunities to put employees’ feedback into action – beginning with efforts to make the stairs easier to find. In the meantime, here are a few things you should know about using the stairs in the Franklin Building:

• In the lobby, the stairs are to the left of the reception desk.
• You need your ID card to access the stairs. If you can’t use the lobby exit with your ID, you can request access by calling the Work Management Center at 510-587-0600 or sending an email to building.services@ucop.edu.
• Stairwells are open 7 a.m.–7 p.m. If you get locked out before or after these hours the phone to the security desk is on the 7th and 10th floors.

Taking the stairs is one way to add healthy activity to your day, but there are many others, too. If taking the stairs isn’t an option for you, look for other ways to make your well-being a priority during the workday.

If you’d like to offer additional feedback, email TakeTheStairs@ucop.edu.

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