Research has shown that accumulating 10 000 steps/day provides a range of significant clinical health benefits. However, opportunities for daily walking are constrained by a number of barriers, including employment in sedentary occupations. PURPOSE: Prior to the beginning of a work-based, walking intervention, this study assessed the number of steps university employees take in a typical working week and the relationship between step counts, sitting time and health status. METHODS: 64 women (age 42±11 years; height 165.7±5.2 cm; body mass 70.2±9.9 kg) and 7 men (age 41±11 years; height 181.5±7.8 cm; body mass 73.7±15.3 kg) volunteered for the study. All participants were full-time academic and administrative employees of Leeds Metropolitan University, UK. Before random allocation to treatment and control groups, participants were asked to record their step counts (Yamax SW 200 pedometer) and sitting times for 5 working days (Monday-Friday). Measures for % body fat, waist circumference and systolic/diastolic blood pressure were also taken. Total number of steps/week were compared against a criterion value of 50 000 steps (10 000 steps/day x 5 days) in order to evaluate the number of participants fulfilling health-related recommendations. Pearson product moment correlation was used to analyse relationships between step counts, sitting times, % body fat, waist circumference and systolic/diastolic blood pressure. RESULTS: Mean±SD values were as follows; total step counts=45 101±15 963 steps/week; total sitting time=29.13±11.42 hours/week; % body fat women=31.7±7.9% and men=7.6±3.8%; waist circumference women=83.6±9.3 cm and men=83.4±9.6 cm; systolic blood pressure 121±12 mm Hg; diastolic blood pressure 84±10 mm Hg. Almost three quarters of the sample (N=52 participants, 73%), failed to achieve the minimum health-related threshold of 50 000 steps/week. Significant, weak relationships (p<0.05, r=−0.3) were found between total steps/week and sitting time, % body fat, waist circumference and systolic blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline step counts and sitting times indicated a high level of sedentary behaviour in this sample. Furthermore, volume of walking undertaken during the working week was linked to a number of health-related risk factors. Findings support the need for work-based, walking interventions in this group, with future studies able to assess the impact such interventions have on walking, sitting and health status.