There is a growing interest in health promotion programs in the workforce as employers recognise the benefits of keeping their workers healthy and giving them a better quality of life. The main challenge with such programs is to choose approaches that most employees will take part in. 

There are many simple strategies for improving employee fitness and health. These strategies are not Work Health Safety programs (WHS) as such but work alongside WHS programs. 

The key to reaping the benefits is to select options that your staff are likely to take up and strategies workers will feel able to adopt without embarrassment. The ‘gym junkies’ are not your target group because they tend to look after their own health and fitness, whether the employer helps or not. And those employees who want to participate in anything that’s an alternative to work – they are not your target either. So, while there are many cost-effective options available, it still pays to evaluate each one carefully to ensure it will have a high take-up rate. 
 

Benefits of a workplace health promotion program


Although it’s not easy to measure them, because many other factors may also be contributing, the following are potential benefits: 

  • employees can cope better with stressful work situations 

  • absenteeism, work accidents, and injuries can be reduced – the latter may reduce workers' compensation costs as well 

  • improved physical capacity may improve work productivity 

  • in some cases, improved employee self-confidence and self-esteem 

  • if the activities are perceived as fun and enhancing social contacts, employee morale may improve 

  • some activities and services may help to improve retention if they make the employer more attractive 

Note, however, that none of the ideas discussed here are ‘cures’ for productivity, absenteeism, stress, or WHS problems. Those issues will require a comprehensive approach — for example, to remove or reduce underlying causes of accidents, absenteeism, or stress rather than treat the symptoms. Similarly, aerobics classes, sporting team sponsorship, or fresh fruit deliveries will be irrelevant if company management has a bad reputation and the organisation has a chronic turnover problem — you need to address those problems separately. To put it another way, tokens are not valued by employees who are treated poorly or ignored the rest of the time.
Instead, this article discusses small initiatives that are easily implemented and can make a slight but practical difference. Unlike, say, an on-site gymnasium, they do not require large-scale investment and administration by the employer. 
 

What can your business provide? 

The following list indicates the scope of what employers can provide. Many of them have appeared among the initiatives offered by award winners in the ‘Best Employers/Best Employers to Work for Study’ conducted by the Australian Graduate School of Management and Hewitt Associates. They include: 

  • supplying fresh fruit to employees each day – plus some companies provide breakfasts 
  • providing ‘healthy’ food in canteens and vending machines 
  • periodic natural therapy days 
  • healthy cooking demonstrations and classes 
  • aerobics, aquaerobics, yoga, classes 
  • provision of a ‘health allowance’ where the employee chooses how to use it from a list of alternatives 
  • pause gymnastics and ‘stretching’ sessions, either before or during the performance of physical or repetitive work. These are also a valuable component of training courses 
  • subsidised membership of health and fitness centres, either individually or by taking out corporate membership at a centre and allocating sessions to employees 
  • hiring consultants as health and fitness advisors and counsellors for employees 
  • providing information resources, e.g. on nutrition, relaxation, etc 
  • corporate sponsorship of employee sporting teams 
  • social functions such as bush walks and picnics 
  • providing on-site areas that are conducive to exercising and relaxation 
  • contributions to local community projects that are likely to benefit community health, such as disease prevention, pollution reduction, water supply treatment, etc 
  • subsidising quit smoking and other treatment programs. 

 

Setting wellbeing programs up 

Before introducing any initiative, it is advisable to evaluate the current levels of health and fitness of employees and consider what their needs in this area are. Also, conduct a survey to determine the likelihood of service usage. 

A couple of essential things to remember: 

  • Your main target group is your less-fit employees who may need some incentive and encouragement. Those that are already active in competitive sport, gym membership, etc, may still benefit from the services but are likely to look after themselves anyway, generally. You do not want an outcome where the fit employees enthusiastically embrace what’s provided, the less fit ones ignore it (and may even resent it), and the gap between the groups widens. 

  • For the above reasons, be able to cater for variations in levels of health and fitness so that everyone can participate. Provide the services in a way that makes employees feel comfortable participating. 

  • Investigate the tax position carefully. Many initiatives may be tax-deductible for an employer. Others may be classified as ‘benefits’ but may be Fringe Benefits Tax-exempt, such as meals provided via in-house facilities or eligible benefits with a value of less than $500 per employee per year. 

In summary, offering services that improve employee health and fitness may not fix a poor corporate culture or larger issues, but when properly targeted, they can make a small yet valuable difference at a modest cost. An employer also has a duty of care to ensure a safe work environment and systems of work. Using a risk management approach and providing training to staff will help them better understand how to manage their fitness for work and recognise their personal responsibilities in maintaining it.