Employee loyalty no laughing matter. Or is it?

A new monthly laughter subscription model has been launched to help Kiwi businesses boost morale and connection.

Finding the positive amidst a tidal wave of negativity in our news feeds can be a daily struggle. That’s why Wade Jackson, high performance coach, author and founder of charitable trust Covert Theatre, has launched an innovative new laughter subscription to bring business and laughter together.

Enter, stage right: The Laugh Gym. Inspired by new research from University College London[1] which shows that engaging with the performing arts has a positive impact on wellbeing, improv is the latest business tool to help employees find joy, laugh and thrive.

Launched on July 20th with a special performance by global hit The Improv Bandits, The Laugh Gym showcases award-winning comedy in a regular calendar of events for employees.

The Laugh Gym is a monthly subscription model that offers a unique and fun way for employers to reward and recognise their people with the gift of laughter. Each month subscribed businesses will receive an allocation of tickets to Covert Theatre’s world-class improvised comedy shows.

“The idea for The Laugh Gym came about in response to this pandemic,” says Jackson, who has worked as a business coach for an A to Z of blue-chip Australasian companies. “I work in the arts, where transcendence is a big part of what we do, especially in comedy. I also work closely with corporate professionals who are struggling. Businesses need to reconnect; employees need to re-engage with their wellbeing in a more effortless way and we all want to feel human again.”

Jackson says having a laugh is proven to be the fastest way to facilitate human connection. “Laughter is contagious so it’s even more powerful when your people do it together. Businesses and their people will directly benefit from having a positive shared experience that they can engage with in a light and fun way. There are also proven health benefits that come from having a giggle, such as lowering blood pressure, reducing stress, releasing endorphins and increasing your overall sense of wellbeing.”

The Laugh Gym is the latest professional tool to help businesses to reconnect, boost morale, and increase wellbeing as a reward or recognition or even to provide client entertainment. Businesses can choose between the My Choice option, where they select the shows a month in advance, or the Leave It To Us option, where Covert Theatre send a variety of tickets to the shows they recommend. Either way, tickets will be emailed in a timely manner, with plenty of time to distribute them to deserving staff.

And if supporting employee wellbeing wasn’t enough, a percentage of all Laugh Gym subscriptions goes directly towards funding Covert Theatre’s Improv School scholarship fund, providing subsidised or free opportunities for young people experiencing financial hardship. This means under privileged children can learn confidence, resilience and fearless communication skills through the power of play and improv.

For further information or to subscribe to The Laugh Gym, visit https://www.coverttheatre.com/the-laugh-gym.