1 in 4 employees don’t get enough exercise and employees who find it difficult to exercise during the day are 96% less likely to be productive.[i]
Why encourage exercise?
A recent survey that examined the growing talent war across Africa yielded one interesting conclusion: your company’s brand is a leading factor in attracting and retaining employees.
Results showed that strength of the employer brand is an important factor when it comes to attracting talent (75%). When it comes to retention, the quality of the workplace and the overall experience ranked as the leading retention factor.
Chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and musculoskeletal disorders are major causes of low productivity and absenteeism.[ii] And many of these are due to poor diet and lack of exercise, with a high body mass index (BMI) identified as a significant risk factor for chronic disease.[iv]
5 easy ways to get employees moving.
- Lead from the top. Consider the potential in management posting their own exercise progress, or department heads working out alongside their teams.[ii]
- Lay the groundwork. Invest time and effort in raising awareness on exercise-related health topics. Make sure your staff knows why they’re being asked to be more active and how to do so safely. [v]
- Go company-wide. Think of social activities which bring together people who might not otherwise interact at work and strengthen team spirit.[ii]
- Make goals clear. Whether it’s management measuring absenteeism and presenteeism, or employees setting personal goals, the objective always has to be clear.[v]
- Make it fun and voluntary!
[i] Mitchell RJ, Bates P. Measuring Health-Related Productivity Loss. Popul Health Manag. 2011;14(2):93-98. doi:10.1089/pop.2010.0014.
[ii] Schofield D, Shrestha RN, Cunich MM, et al. Economic costs of chronic disease through lost productive life years (PLYs) among Australians aged 45–64 years from 2015 to 2030: results from a microsimulation model. BMJ Open. 2016;6(9):e011151. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011151.
[iii] The GBD 2015 Obesity Collaborators. Health Effects of Overweight and Obesity in 195 Countries over 25 Years. N Engl J Med. 2017; 377:13-27.DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1614362.
[iv] Quintiliani L, Sattelmair J, Sorensen G. The workplace as a setting for interventions to improve diet and promote physical activity. Background paper prepared for the WHO/WEF Joint Event on Preventing Noncommunicable Diseases in the Workplace (Dalian/ China, September 2007).
