Like so many other companies in the United States in March, SCA Pharma quickly sent home all employees who could work remotely as a safety measure during the pandemic.
And just like at so many other companies, SCA employees have managed to keep operations running smoothly under challenging circumstances.
But employees realized something early on in quarantine: They missed their “work families.”
“When we went remote after being used to seeing each other every day, it was hard. I really missed the people I work with,” said Lessley Denton, a licensing specialist who works in SCA’s Little Rock, Ark., administrative office. “I thought there had to be a team building exercise that could keep us safe but still keep us together.”
Cue the zombies.
Because it turns out nothing brings professional colleagues together quite like fleeing the walking dead.
Using an app developed by FIXHealth, Lessley organized 20 co-workers from SCA’s Little Rock location to join a three-week team fitness challenge.
Team members were challenged to walk every day, with individuals and the entire team earning “fist” points they could use to combat online zombies the app would send to attack them.
Lessley identified a number of positive results from the challenge.
“First, people were getting physically active in a fun way that didn’t feel like a burden,” she said. “It was a way to get people outside and moving during a time when it was really easy to stay inside, watch TV and eat.”
The app sent Lessley and her teammates challenges that kept the game fresh and different. And through the app, teammates could communicate and encourage each other.
“If someone was having a rough day or going through a tough time, we could lend support and step it up to keep the team moving forward,” she said.
Hearing about the Little Rock facility’s successful challenge, Rich Colucciello, Vice President of Human Resources and Finance, expanded the effort to the entire company.
Nearly 100 employees registered, representing about 20 percent of the company’s entire workforce.
Lessley is thrilled with the response.
“Employees are moving, and they are chatting with each other,” she said. “We had some employees who barely were walking 5,000 steps a day when we started and now some are doing 20,000 or more steps a day. We’re taking care of our personal health and that’s good.”
And by improving their own physical and mental health, SCA employees are better positioned to care for their customers.
“We’re maintaining strict quarantine guidelines that protect our employees as well as our customers,” Lessley said. “And we are providing the life-saving drugs that patients need.”
As a result of her efforts, Lessley was awarded a $500 gift card as the “Great Idea” winner in Q1 2020. Employees with other creative ideas are encouraged to submit them to: greatideas@scapharma.com.
