MasterControl pays its employees to play sports and stay active

Adults typically stand on the sidelines when it comes to team sports, but at MasterControl, a Salt Lake City-based management software provider, every employee has a spot on the field. 

The company prioritizes health and wellness by offering 25 different fitness clubs for employees to participate in, ranging from soccer or basketball to yoga, meditation and walking clubs. Employees get an hour off during the workweek to play, and MasterControl gives the teams money to host tournaments and buy team swag or equipment.  

"A key element in our culture from when our CEO started in 2002, was that he really wanted a club feel to the company, where people looked forward to coming in and you enjoyed where you worked," says Alicia Garcia, MasterControl's chief culture officer. "We really thought, we need to come up with something different that incorporates that and also helps people feel encouraged to have healthy behaviors." 

Read more: Why remote work has made in-person retreats vital to company culture 

Garcia says the company initially launched a "Biggest Loser"-style contest to promote health and wellness, but discovered that people were engaging in unhealthy habits, like not eating on the weekends. The clubs came about because of the natural inclination of their team to get together and exercise, and the program has since morphed into a company-wide initiative to get active and spend time as a group. 

"I started noticing people would come up and ask others in the office, 'Hey, I'm going for a run today at my lunch break, do you want to join?'" Garcia says. "We started small with four or five clubs, and the goal was to have at least four members of your club, and then the company would sponsor you. The clubs were just growing and we had more and more requests." 

The company's 720 employees now work a hybrid schedule, and the teams have enabled employees to get together even if they're not working on the same days or from the same location, Garcia says. It also promoted the importance of being active during the pandemic, and helped combat the isolation many of their employees were feeling. 

"We had a really strong culture going into the pandemic, but as we started working more and more from home, there was definitely a disconnect," Garcia says. "This is something that has really bonded our teams together. Even now in this hybrid environment, we still see a ton of participation. Remote employees can still participate. They have a Slack channel for their club and they can send in photos participating in their own area." 

Read more: Fitness benefits are a top priority for remote workers 

An added bonus is that the company's healthcare costs have gone down — Garcia notes that premium costs went down during two out of the previous seven years. The company also has an on-site doctor who works with employees in-person and through Zoom to discuss their health, and the company pays for "prescriptions," like a new pair of running shoes or a massage. 

"There's a variety of things that they can pick from to really help emphasize that we are here to support you in your fitness journey and in your wellness journey," Garcia says. "What started as maybe a running and biking club, has really morphed into wellness being about the total person and their whole life." 

Garcia says that while the clubs are optional, even employees who don't consider themselves athletic or have fitness goals in mind have chosen to participate. The bigger takeaway is not about weight loss or hitting a fitness goal, but building a sense of teamwork that flows through the rest of the business. 

"Each club is run by someone who's super passionate about the sport or about the activity and because of that, you get really motivated, really passionate people who want to drive their team members," Garcia says. "That attracts other people to join and interact with colleagues who they trust. It increases our productivity. It increases teamwork. It's kind of all encompassing."