When people are sitting all day long with limited physical activity there is a risk of poor health. Lunch and snacks are free of charge at Mujin, and people tend to eat sweets, especially after using their brains. Sport plays an important role in keeping people physically and mentally healthy as well as improving productivity. Engaging in sports can encourage socialization, improve self-worth and reduce the risk of mental disorders. Finally, sport contributes to an overall healthy lifestyle and can impact diet and sleep.
Probably the most obvious benefits Mujin offers are those related to sports activities. At the office, we have a gym, ping pong area, and space for stretching (most of the time we just stretch next to our desks during the day 😉).
One of the first benefits Mujin started providing was futsal. Of course, we don’t have the field inside the Mujin office. For about 7 years so far Mujin has rented a futsal field near the office for employees to run, jump, play and have fun together after work. As you might read in the Mujin Story, Mujin changed several offices, so every time we found a new futsal field nearby. Maybe we can already make a top-list of futsal space in Tokyo Mujin edition.
Staying healthy is important, but we also have other reasons to provide a futsal benefit such as a team-building activity.
We are striving to improve communication between employees since Mujin is a very diverse company, and we are trying to find a way to engage all employees. After-work drinks and socializing are great for some employees but not for all, they place all the pressure on social interaction and conversation.
Team activities such as futsal bond with each other and build mutual trust. The game always teaches that in order to win, the team members need to trust each other and get their back, and employees improve their communication skills and have more effective interactions with each other. Playing futsal makes the team understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses while having fun, which boosts team performance in work-related projects as well.
For the most enthusiastic players we have foosball in our headquarters, which is less popular compared to ping pong, but still plays an important role to have fun during lunchtime. It makes Mujin employees hang out together during breaks and become closer.
Futsal and other activities turns a group of employees into a strong team that works better together, encourages a positive work environment, and creates team bonds with trust to each other.