Press ReleasesWellness programs are good for business--- and for employees
October 4, 2007
Employers are getting on board, supporting their workers to make lifestyle changes that promote health.
More than 75 percent of executives see the link between employee health and productivity, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers Management Barometer. Across the country, the American Management Association finds wellness programming is up, often including cardiac health, smoking cessation, exercise, weight management, nutrition and stress management.
The Centers for Disease Control reports obese employees miss work almost twice as much as other workers, costing employers $4 billion annually and even more in lost productivity. Shaunna Dalton, a regional manager for Lady of America Clubs, points to recent research from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health that predicts 75 percent of Americans will be falling into the “overweight” category by 2015.
Mayor Bill White has been concerned with obesity in Houston since the city was dubbed the fattest city in the nation and often reiterates the importance of a healthy work force as part of the fabric of the city’s strong financial potential.
According to the Houston Wellness Association’s Lack, encouraging employees to exercise can be as easy as providing soccer or basketball and a place to pay during beaks of after work. As to nutrition, stocking company vending machines with healthier choices makes good sense for both employee and employer.
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