It’s a new year, and many people are hustling to shed some of that winter weight. Unfortunately, many of us do not have the luxury of having state of the art equipment, personal trainers, or costly gym memberships. However, there may still be a way to look fabulous in that new bathing suit.

Many companies are beginning to implement corporate wellness programs to encourage employees to maintain good health. As an employer you may be asking, “How does that benefit me”? Read on and you may be in for a bit of a surprise:

Increased Productivity
Generally speaking, employees in better health tend to have more energy. When an employee is in tip top shape, they can show up to work ready to hit the ground running. They come to work “bright eyed and bushy tailed” so to speak. They can also sustain that energy for longer periods of time. Think of two marathon runners, one that has been running every day for the past 6 months and another that hasn’t been on a track in the past year. On paper, which would you put your money on?

Reduced Turnover and Increased Ability to Recruit
So your employer pays a few thousand per year less than the competition? Well how are the benefits and perks? Do they offer a retirement plan, insurance, a generous amount of paid time off, ability to telecommute, a company car, or a corporate wellness plan? If you can answer yes to a few of those, maybe that is reason enough to take a little less money. The bottom line is, employees appreciate when a company takes good care of them and are frequently willing to take a little less money as a result.

Improved Company Moral
As a Human Resources Consultant, my clients frequently ask me how they can pick up the moral around the office. What better way than to give them something to talk about and feel good about? As employees achieve their fitness goals they will begin to want to share their success stories and challenges with other people who are striving for the same goals. Additionally, they will experience a sense of accomplishment and self esteem that will flow over into their work.

Reduced Health Care Costs
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that healthier employees are… well, healthier. They visit the doctor less and they have less risk of disease or infection. As a result they have less insurance claims which lead to lower insurance premium. “According to research published in the journal Health Affairs, medical expenditures of obese workers average 38% higher than other workers.” (http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-6085472/Fit-for-office-corporate-wellness.html) National PEO works with a variety of health clubs to help companies implement corporate wellness programs. One such company, Pure Fitness, boasts “we also provide nutritional and weight management seminars to teach your employees how to successfully combine a balanced diet with an exercise program.”

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LBMC
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