Keeping Fit ... Works
Illawarra Mercury
Tuesday September 28, 1999
WORKING out during work is becoming increasingly popular as employers start to recognise that a healthy worker is a happy worker.
Though still the exception rather than the rule, gyms, personal trainers and health professionals are moving into the corporate world as employers take more responsibility for their employees' wellbeing.
And while workers are taking advantage of the convenience and affordability of corporate health and fitness programs, their employers are reaping the benefits of increased productivity, less absenteeism and fewer workers' compensation claims.
National Heart Foundation Illawarra program manager Andy Mark said Australian companies lost millions of dollars each year through lost production hours due to ill health and even the premature death of employees. A corporate health and fitness program, he said, made good business sense.
``Forty four per cent of deaths in the Illawarra are currently due to heart disease, while 15 per cent of people in the region die prematurely," he said. ``If workplaces can promote activity they will be building a strong and cohesive workforce."
Mr Mark said physical activity vastly reduced the risk of conditions like heart disease, colon and breast cancer and osteoporosis, as well as mental illnesses such as depression and stress. Yet more than half the Illawarra population was not getting enough exercise.
``In the Illawarra, 54 per cent of men and 37.5 per cent of women are overweight or obese while over 50 per cent of the population doesn't get enough physical activity," he said.
``The majority of people claim time is the major barrier to exercise so workplace programs provide a good opportunity to introduce some activity into the working day."
Mr Mark said that in the past few years, the number of businesses setting up such corporate health and fitness programs had spiralled. Examples included Wollongong University, BHP and Wollongong City Council.
The council was way ahead of the game, establishing a gym back in 1988 to run alongside its wide program of fitness activities and informative health education campaigns.
The Wollongong City Council Corporate Health and Fitness Centre now boasts more than 150 members, which represents more than 10 per cent of the council's workforce - an encouraging participation rate.
Nationally, just five per cent of the population belongs to gyms.
Council's employee health promotions officer Terry Dwyer said a strong health and fitness program at the workplace had benefits for both employees and employers.
``Employees enjoy improved health and have better weight control so have more energy and higher concentration levels, which helps them to cope more efficiently with work demands," he said. ``They also have increased work satisfaction.
``In the employer's favour is the fact that absenteeism due to ill health has been found to decrease when there is a corporate fitness program in place. Similarly, workers' compensation claims are reduced; productivity and morale among workers is increased as are employee-employer relations and company loyalty."
Mr Dwyer said the initial outlay for equipment and staff for such a program was more than justified.
``The cost of rehiring and retraining staff, especially at the executive level, is enormous," he said, ``When you take into account the added costs due to loss of productivity, clients and sales, then it really seems to be in the best interests of employers to keep their staff healthy and happy."
But there were a number of key factors for the success of corporate health and fitness programs.
``The support of senior management is vital to the overall success of a program and council's management team has been very supportive," Mr Dwyer said.
``Companies also need to make sure there is professional supervision so the staff get the best out of the centre."
THE council's gym, just across the road from the main administration building in Burelli St, is a convenient and inexpensive option for many council workers.
However, the council also took into consideration its workers at other sites in the Illawarra.
``There are about 500 employees in council's main administration building and they form the majority of our membership due to the proximity to the gym," Mr Dwyer said.
``Council also provides a lot of information on health and fitness with newsletters ... which helps workers who are not members of the gym, as well as reinforcing the efforts of those who are.
``The council also has a lot of other health initiatives in place including team events like bush walks or stair climb challenges, which are great because they really build team spirit."
Council's assistant general manager Carl Wulff was one of many corporate employees who found it hard to fit an exercise regime into his week.
He now finds it easy to walk across the road before or after work, or in a lunch break, to keep himself in shape.
``A lot of corporate people find it very hard to get to gyms because of their long and sometimes irregular working hours," he said.
``It has vastly improved my health and fitness so I am now more physically, and mentally, able to cope with the different situations that arise from day to day."
BHP is another company that invests in its future by providing health and fitness programs for its workers.
With more than 6000 employees at the Port Kembla steelworks, no one program could cover every employee, BHP Flat Products health and rehabilitation services manager Chris Darling said. Therefore, activities and facilities were provided on a departmental basis in consultation with the workers.
``We need to work out individual programs that fit in with the particular environment and the time constraints of each department," he said.
``Some sections have organised walking programs, others have set up gyms while many take advantage of regular team activities."
Mr Darling said the company also coordinated a variety of seminars for employees.
``We have regular awareness-raising sessions on topics relevant to our workers, such as skin cancer prevention; cardiovascular disease or the side effects of shift work," he said.
``With men making up 96 per cent of the workforce here, we also supply information on topics that particularly relate to men's health - such as prostate or bowel cancer. We outline what the risks are for such conditions and let each worker know how they can minimise those risks."
Mr Darling said employers had a responsibility to ensure each employee understood the risks they would be exposed to during their working week.
``They also have a role to play in helping employees to understand health issues that will impact on their longevity."
Ultimately though, it was up to the individual.
© 1999 Illawarra Mercury