When I worked in the corporate arena – okay, the IT field – not so much corporate as it was still an office atmosphere, I enjoyed the fact that there was a gym on site. We could get a good workout in morning, noon and night and all you needed was your company ID to get in the door. There were a couple of televisions available to watch and three or four cardio machines (including a pair of treadmills and a pair of stationary bikes) and standard weight training stations.
Now, remember, this was about six or more years ago and while they made plenty of fitness equipment available, it was entirely up to the employees about whether they used it or not. Nowadays, chances are if you aren’t using their fitness equipment, you better be using someone’s because more and more the modern company and their board is beginning to sound like our mothers.
Mandatory Exercise, At Work?
Don’t believe me? Check out the outdoor clothing company L.L. Bean that requires their manufacturing line close down three times a day for five minute stretches that help their employees prevent common injuries. This isn’t a voluntary set of stretches all the employees have to do them.
Other companies are organizing walking regimens designed to get their employees out for a stroll every day. Prefer riding a bike to walking? Check out American Apparel – they have over 80 loaner bikes, helmets and more that their employees can borrow for a little spinning. Trust a financial company to use financial pressure, the Hartford Financial Services Group is charging more for fatty foods in their company cafeteria and subsidizing the price of healthier foods, salads and fruits.
They even have a name for it according to one news article that labeled them Twinkie taxes.
Health Care Costs Are Definitely a Factor
So why are businesses working so hard at being our mothers? Because many businesses subsidize health care costs for their employees – they are faced with rising costs those companies are beginning to charge for unhealthy employees with unhealthy habits who are endangering their health by their lack of activity or repetitive stress work techniques.
Not to mention, healthier employees are more productive, happier to be at the job and less likely to take sick days. So for businesses everywhere – it’s a financially sound decision to invest in the fitness and well being of their employees. We talk about here being a health-care crisis, an obesity crisis and more in this country – it’s the responsibility of all parts of our society to get involved – and it looks like some of those businesses are doing just that.
Does your company encourage you to work out?
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