And the pics are coming in from Recess At Work Day 2009

The "kids" in Mechanicsburg PA blowing up balloons. But where is the water?

Way to go Community Options. Costumes. Cake. Love it!

And it looks as if the folks at Reside LLC in Minneapolis took a recess as well. Check out their celebration at: http://www.reside.biz/blog/2009/06/22/reside-celebrates-recess-at-work-day/

How We Spent Our Recess At Work Day,,,,,

Where else can you visit with the paparazzi, a prom queen, a pretty princess, pippi longstocking, eat with someone who almost drowned in the ocean, someone who rode a horse across the Golden Gate Bridge, someone who was on TV with Richard Simmons, or someone who saved a duck from an alligator?

Or see a walking poster, someone in a poodle skirt, a perplexed poet? Not to mention the picnic type, incredible food..from pudding, pie, pizza, pasta, pink cake, and many more plates of fruit and salads.

And what about the fun 2 lies and a truth. All this at our 3rd annual Recess At Work Day. We all had great fun!! It certainly does boost morale. Thank you! Pictures will follow soon.

Submitted by Wendy W. at Community Options in Colorado

And let's not forget Recess with Teresa!

It's Recess At Work Day!!!

HAPPY

Well Recess At Work Day plans here in the Northeast have been postponed by Mother Nature. We are in day 40 of rain. So here I am sitting in my office deciding what to do for Recess now that my visits to clients have been derailed.

And then I came up with an idea.........................

I organized a last minute Recess with a couple of other entrepreneurs and decided to include you. So here's the deal.....................

Join Michelle, Theresa and Rich for Recess today. And there's a Free "Is It Recess Yet?" beanie cap & T-shirt to 1st person to find me Starbucks Watertown CT 2:15PM

Happy Recess!!

Tomorrow is Recess At Work Day!

But if you happen to be in CT today..................... this could be your lucky afternoon.

I've got a Free "Is It Recess Yet?" beanie cap & T-shirt to 1st person to find me at Barnes & Noble Waterbury CT 3:00PM. http://tinyurl.com/mllpc5

In the meantime don't forget to check out the Recess At Work Day website.

Whether it be employee morale, employee engagement, or health and wellness, Recess At Work Day is a great addition to all your other ideas.

And of course visit our Facebook page

Add Humana to the list

Yep, just heard that Management at one of Humana's facilities in WI has invited all to come down for a Recess At Work Day celebration. They're holding it on Friday instead.

Who cares! Any day is good for a recess that increases morale, engagement, and wellness.

I tip my beanie cap to the management team at Humana!

Hmmm.............Maybe this is the beginning of Recess At Work Week?

For Immediate Release
Wolcott, CT June 10, 2009
Contact: Rich DiGirolamo 203.879.5970 rich@RichDiGirolamo.com


Want to Increase Employee Morale and Engage Employees? Think About Taking a Recess on June 18th
Healthier employees perform better, innovate better, and work better as a team. June 18th is an opportunity for employees and employers to take a break from the stress of today’s economic worries and celebrate their successes. June 18th is Recess At Work Day.

It has been proven that breaks are essential for satisfaction. But what does this mean to an employer? Well according to Rich DiGirolamo, Founder of Recess At Work Day, it’s simple……..Breaks lead to satisfaction; and satisfaction easily transfers to increase morale, reduced employee stress, more engaged and healthier employees; ultimately having a positive impact on productivity, absenteeism and profits. Now in its 6th year; Recess At Work Day is the perfect complement to any Health and Wellness or Employee Engagement Initiative..

Tiffany Metzler of the Mechanicsburg, PA School District had the following to say. “The district wellness committee decided to implement Recess at Work Day this year. It is important for our district staff to continue to strengthen relationships and have some fun at the end of the school year. This picnic will allow the staff to come together for some teambuilding, using a proven fun and games approach. What’s better than fun and games to celebrate team success!"

Years ago DiGirolamo was part of a team in need of reducing stress and chaos during a data center conversion. Long hours, project setbacks, and negative reactions to change were just some of the challenges. To alleviate some the chaos, lunch got replaced with a short walk to Rye Playland (Rye, NY) and a couple of trips on the Dragon Coaster. Remembering the benefit of those breaks from the norm, DiGirolamo, now a professional speaker, presenting Employee Morale and Engagement Programs, founded Recess At Work Day as a complement to already existing employee wellness, morale and engagement initiatives. Past and present participants include GE Capital, Covidien, Iroquois Pipeline, WorksafeBC and Community Options. A visit to the Recess At Work Day website reveals it has been a big hit with big and small companies alike.

So how does one celebrate Recess At Work Day? It’s simple says DiGirolamo. “There are no rules. Just take a break from the daily work routine and engage in something fun. The possibilities are endless. Spend some time learning a foreign language with your peers. Engage in a fun communications or creativity exercise as an exercise in innovation. Rewrite the Employee Handbook – humorously. These are some of the examples offered by DiGirolamo. Keep it cheap or spend lots he says. But he does warn that this has to be a piece of a bigger Employee Wellness program

So only one question remains…….Is it Recess yet? Almost; June 18th is fast approaching.

For more information about Recess At Work Day, or to schedule an interview with Rich DiGirolamo, call 203.879.5970 or visit www.recessatworkday.com

Take a Recess from That Old Way of Meeting

Last week Wendy from Community Options in Montrose, CO called me. They were planning their 3rd Recess At Work Day and decided to add some fun to their team meeting next Thursday. And what better way..... using The Meeting Playce Mat (TM).

I'm sure they'll have a lot of fun. It will probably be one of the most productive meetings ever held. Happy Recess Wendy!

A couple of quick Recess At Work Day Ideas

Still not sure how to spend Recess At Work Day? How about doing a good deed?

1. Perhaps take your team and do something for your community. Contact a local Parks & Recreation Department and see if you can help with a clean up; plant a garden or tree.
2. Or perhaps visit a local youth services group and see if you can offer advice, counseling or guidance to the future business leaders of........perhaps your company?

There are so many ways to take a Recess; on June 18th and every day. Make it part of your employee morale, employee engagement or corporate wellness program.