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Who says bankers can't have fun during a recession?
The staff at Sarasota-based Gateway Bank of Southwest Florida, for one, seems to be having plenty of fun. At least that's the case when it comes to exercising and staying fit.
In fact, the American Heart Association recently recognized the bank's workplace wellness programs and initiatives. The recognition included an in-person appearance at the bank's headquarters from Jared Fogle, better known as the “Subway Guy,” who lost 250 pounds in one year on a diet of Subway sandwiches.
“I missed out on a lot of my life. I missed out on my childhood,” Fogle told a crowd of bank employees and customers about his struggle with obesity at the recent event. “[But] I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.”
Gateway President and CEO Shaun Merriman literally jumped at the chance to start an in-house exercise program when an employee approached him about it. Merriman, a professional water skier at Sea World in Orlando before he began his banking career, still exercises regularly today, including cycling and snow skiing.
The exercise plan at Gateway offers a variety of options, including one-mile walking paths marked around each branch, where employees walk during lunch breaks; private yoga classes; and coordinated Saturday morning walks across the Ringling Bridge.
Of course, there's also Merriman's favorite: Wear Your Sneakers to Work Day, which is the 3rd Tuesday of every month. Those days, says Merriman, the normally nattily attired bankers get to let loose — a little bit.
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