Is your health costing your company money?

If you lack physical fitness, you are more likely to be costing your company money.
It is estimated that unhealthy employees are costing Australian businesses billions of dollars every year with inactive employees impact the business they work for in a cost negative way in terms of productivity, lost time at work and increased claims for sick days.

With scores of unhealthy, overweight or obese employees, many businesses are initiating workplace wellness programs to decrease the immense costs to their bottom line.

Employers have long recognized that a healthy employee cost less. With fewer sick days, increase in productivity, improved employee morale, a decrease in accidents, or just to be a healthier place to work in; the payback for the company comes in the form of dollar savings.

The Australian Governments Institute of Health and Welfare indicates that it has 8 priority health areas. They are Arthritis and Muscular skeletal conditions, Asthma, cancer control, Mental Health, Diabetes, Obesity, Injury prevention and control and Cardiovascular health. These 8 priority areas are in response to the World Health Organizations findings on Global health. It is interesting to note that many of these priority areas can be prevented with an increase in activity and improved nutrition and lifestyle.

Here are some sobering statistics on the cost of an unhealthy employee:
The cost of smoking to Australian Business each year is the negative impact on workforce labour. At $4517.4 million per year. This loss is due to the reduction in the workforce and the increased absenteeism. (Tobacco in Australia, an online resource. The cost of tobacco to Australian society)

At least 70% of all illnesses are due to lifestyle related causes and are attributed to medical costs that could be prevented. (The economic benefits of regular exercise IHRSA)

A fit employee has fewer sick days, has fewer accidents, is less prone to harmful effects of stress and has higher job satisfaction than unfit ones. (Neil Gallaiford. Another reason to go to work-Keeping fit and healthy in the workplace-Human Resource management)

More Australian adults were overweight or obese and more drank alcohol at risky or high risk levels in 2004-5 than in 2001, according to results from the 2004-05. (Australian Bureau of Statistics)

People who don’t exercise have shown to have 34% higher health care costs and 54% longer hospital stays. (Inside track, the executive Fitness)

The proportion of adults classified as overweight or obese increased over the last ten years: for men from 52% to 62% and for women from 37% to 45%. (Australian Bureau of Statistics)

High or very high levels of psychological distress were recorded for 13% of the adult population, similar to the levels recorded in 2001. Of all those who recorded high to very high levels of distress, 59% were female. (Australian Bureau of Statistics)

The two most frequently reported lifestyle risk factors among adults were inadequate fruit or vegetable intake (90%) and sedentary or low level exercise (70%), and the most common pattern was to report them both, without also reporting smoking or drinking at risky levels (44%). In comparison to those classified as normal or underweight, adults who were overweight or obese were slightly more likely to report in this way (43% and 44%).(Australian Bureau of Statistics)

A majority of adults (90%) did not consume the recommended amount of fruit (2 or more serves) or vegetables (5 or more serves). This proportion was similar regardless of body weight. (Australian Bureau of Statistics)

So, how do you and your workplace measure up?
1. What is the existing culture in your workplace in regards to initiating or supporting a healthier work environment?
2. Do you feel you are as productive as you could be at work?
3. What snack time or lunch time practices are encouraged in the workplace?
4. Are you and your fellow employees fitting in your daily required amount of physical activity?
5. What Health, fitness and well being goals do you have?
6. If you are a smoker, what access do you have to a smoking cessation program?
7. What one action can you take this week towards a healthier workplace?

Author: Chris Bakens of Healthy Executives.

Is Your Workplace Making You FAT?

Does your brain work hard on the job but your body sit on idle all day?

Do you find it hard to put fitness into your day?

Are you or your co-workers spilling out of your seats?

Is obesity the key health problem in your workplace?

There is a big FAT problem in this country that is affecting the bottom line of businesses, our health system and the economy.
The average city worker has access to a smorgasbord of healthy choices. Yet there are lollies at the desk, biscuits in the lunchroom, pastries at meetings, and unhealthy snacks in the vending machines.

Levels of obesity can vary depending on the industry and occupation. The worst jobs for the waistline are sedentary office workers where you use a computer, high stress jobs like law and call centres, and transport companies.
And it doesn’t end there. Our FATNESS is contributing to the rising costs of living as well.

The billions lost to absenteeism due to sickness or poor health; injuries; and productivity where employees are at work but doing very little is staggering.

Our hospitals are forced to spend money on reinforced beds, provide wider door access, and buy equipment to accommodate the growing trend of obesity related diseases. This money is being spent on what could be prevented rather than treating things that cannot.

Even funeral companies have to install special lifting equipment in their morgues, provide wider and deeper coffins, use trolleys rather than pallbearers, and special lifting machines to lower coffins into graves.

It is not like we don’t know what to do. Rather, it is one of not being responsible for what we put in our mouths and looking at everything we do as an opportunity to move more.
It is simple science, Energy in versus Energy out. Energy in (what goes in your mouth) and energy out (how much activity you do). You adjust the equation according to your needs. If you wish to lose weight, you eat a little less and move a little more.
If you are faced with an expanding workplace, there are some simple steps you can do to trim the waist lines and boost the bottom line of our businesses, our health system, and our economy.

Strategies for fitting healthy options into your workday.

•Start a group fitness workout at lunchtime or after work.
•Hold your team meetings during an outside walk.
•Use the rest room that is the farthest away from your desk.
•Wear a pedometer to track how many steps you take in an average day.
•See your HR department to get a Personal Trainer to start a fitness class at your work.
•Take the stairs instead of the lift during your lunch or tea break.
•Walk to the end of the building to give a message rather than send an email or phone.
•Park your car a little further away from the office or get off the bus a few blocks earlier.
•Keep healthier eating choices at your desk for when you can’t get away.
•Freeze meals or buy healthy readymade meals and bring to work to heat in microwave.
•Get a hands-free on your phone so you can get up and move around.
As you can see, you don’t have to do a run a fun-run every lunch hour. You just have to look for opportunities to move more during the course of the day.
We can dramatically reverse the growing trend of workplace waistlines if we take on being responsible for our own health.