Make Your Meetings More Active

  • Include items on your meeting agenda that require participants to get out of their seats (breakout groups, stand and write ideas on an easel).
  • Choose movement friendly meeting locations (walkable neighborhoods, on-site gym, nearby park).
  • Hire a professional instructor (pilates, yoga, tai chi, stretching, Zumba) to lead a class before or during the meeting.
  • Point out the stairs and encourage attendees to use them. Consider including the location of stairs in meeting directions or putting arrows to the stairs in front of elevators.
  • Organize a group walk early in the morning, during a break or before/after dinner.
  • Consider incorporating standing ovations after each speaker to encourage participants to stand and stretch.

Standing Breaks

  • At least once an hour, participants should be encouraged to stand up to improve blood circulation, boost metabolism, and relieve physical discomfort from sitting for prolonged periods of time.
  • Announce that it is fine to stand up and move around, as needed. If possible, provide raised tables for those electing to stand during the meeting.

Stretch Breaks

  • Stretch breaks help participants wake up their bodies and minds.
  • Encourage people to stand up and stretch in place.
  • Try playing a Healthy UC Davis WakeBreak video! These instructor-led stretch videos range from 4 to 15 minutes. 

Breathing Exercise

  • Focused breathing is an energizing activity that can help relax and clear your mind. Simply inhale for four seconds, hold it for seven seconds, and exhale for eight seconds.

Suggested Activity Agendas

LENGTH OF MEETINGSTANDING BREAKSTRETCH BREAKSBREATHING BREAKSMOVEMENT BREAKSWALKING BREAKS
50 - 60 minx x  
2 - 4 hoursxxxx 
All Dayxxxxx

UC Davis Health Recognized with Two National Workplace Awards

  • by Tahlia Aghily

UC Davis Health has earned two new national distinctions for workplace excellence. Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group named the health system as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces overall and one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Mental Wellbeing 2025. 

These recognitions reflect the health system’s commitment to fostering an exceptional work environment that supports both professional success and personal wellbeing.

Overall workplace excellence

This latest recognition builds on UC Davis Health’s growing national reputation as a model workplace. It follows previous honors from Forbes, including being named one of America’s Best Large Employers, one of California’s Best Employers, and a Best Employer for Diversity and for Women.

UC Davis Health’s workplace excellence is rooted in comprehensive support for employees throughout their careers. Standout programs include:

lyndon huling. headshot

“These recognitions affirm our commitment to creating an inclusive, supportive workplace that empowers employees to bring their best to our patients,” said Lyndon Huling, executive director of talent acquisition and compensation services at UC Davis Health.

"There’s still more work to be done, and we remain focused on the journey ahead. This is not a destination, but a meaningful milestone that reminds us we’re heading in the right direction.”

Focus on mental health

The award for America’s Greatest Workplaces for Mental Wellbeing highlights UC Davis Health’s investment in mental health and resilience across its workforce — an especially critical focus in health care.

Key offerings include:

woman smiling

"We’re proud to be part of the broader network of support at UC Davis, providing free, confidential mental health services that help employees and their families navigate life’s challenges,” said Carol Kirshnit, director of the Academic and Staff Assistance Program. 

“This recognition reflects the university’s commitment to maintaining high quality, accessible mental health support for its employees and speaks to the recognition of our collective humanity."

Methodology

The awards are based on one of the largest independent employer studies in the country, conducted by Newsweek in partnership with research firm Plant-A Insights Group. More than 400,000 employees were surveyed, and over 4.9 million reviews of 70,000+ U.S. companies were analyzed.

For the mental well-being category, companies were scored using more than 120 key performance indicators. These included work-life balance, compensation, leadership, integrity and well-being support. Analysts used both employee feedback and publicly available data.

Only employers with more than 1,000 employees were eligible, and rankings were adjusted for demographic representation based on U.S. Census data.