University friends Toby Cannon and Michael McCreadie have launched an employee wellbeing platform specifically for desk-based workers.
The pair are both experienced marathon runners and believe their new venture – Myles Wellbeing – will create healthier, happier employees.
Building on the success of their previous platform used by over 20,000 people including employees at Dell, NHS Supply Chain and Capital One, the new platform encourages employers to support the physical wellbeing of their employees.
By connecting with over 30 smartwatches, fitness apps and wearables including Apple Health, Google Fit and Fitbit, users are able to compete with colleagues and earn rewards for hundreds of activities and sports, not just steps.
Founder and CEO Toby Cannon said: “We’re the first generation that need to build physical activity into our day-to-day lives. We’re super excited to launch Myles Wellbeing to support employees in creating sustainable wellbeing habits.”
The platform incentivises behavioural change by looking at participants’ improvement month-on-month.
Myles Wellbeing uses an algorithm based on ‘metabolic equivalent tasks’ to compare running with yoga, rowing with dance classes and walking with tennis to enable users to earn points. These can be seen on a leaderboard and exchanged for a range of rewards.
Co-founder Michael McCreadie highlighted the importance of employee wellbeing in the workplace: “It isn’t just nice to have, it’s a necessity if you want to grow a sustainable business,” he said.
It’s estimated that 45 per cent of Gen-Z and millennials say they have experienced burnout at their current job while screen time in adults has also increased by up to 80 per cent since before Covid-19.
Myles Wellbeing now has a team of five staff with plans to grow further.
Both Cannon and McCreadie received a first class degree at the University of York.