More work-based fitness initiatives are being introduced as companies realise the financial benefits of a healthy workforce. Hélène Hofmanreports.
Employees who lead active lifestyles have been proven to be more productive and less likely to take sick days than their sedentary counterparts. Based on this, an increasing number of companies in the State are introducing work-based fitness initiatives. Many now host exercise classes on site, organise sports tournaments and some are even building gym facilities.
"There is anecdotal evidence that shows companies are becoming more interested in the health and wellbeing of their employees," says Dr Louise Sullivan, manager of Ibec's Nutrition and Health Foundation (NHF).
"Finding the time to exercise can be tricky, because we all work longer hours and have long commutes. As a result, if you want to lead a healthy life you really need to start at work.
"Employers are realising they have a responsibility to their employees, and health and wellbeing is something that is more and more on the agendas of HR people, aside from the healthy and safety side of things. It's certainly on the radar," she says.
While a regular exercise programme can have obvious benefits for the employee by giving them more energy and helping to reduce their stress levels, Sullivan points out that it can also have advantages for the company.
"A fitter employee is more productive. They're also less likely to be out on sick days and their morale is up. One of the massive problems affecting Irish businesses is turnover - and someone who's healthy and happy in their job is less likely to leave."
In the US, where fitness initiatives have been in place in many workplaces since the 1990s, a number of companies have reported significant changes. Healthcare group Johnson & Johnson found that within two years of introducing its health and wellness programme in 1995 absenteeism fell by 13 per cent.
A more recent study in the US found that employees who exercised missed 40 per cent fewer days than employees with a sedentary lifestyle.
In 1990, Saatchi & Saatchi advertising found that 63 per cent of employees who enrolled in its fitness programme improved their productivity, and 75 per cent said it had boosted their morale.
"The workplace can have a profound effect on people," says Jo O'Rourke, a senior health promotion officer with HSE Dublin North-East. She is one of six health promotion officers for the workplace in Ireland who offer free advice to employers who want to promote healthy habits.
"It's hard to get Irish companies to engage sometimes because there's no legislation. There's only health and safety regulations which most companies abide by anyway. Health promotion in the workplace is a much bigger thing with companies in the US and the UK, but it's something that there is more lip service being paid to recently - getting them to follow through is the hard part," according to O'Rourke.
"Promoting health at work doesn't have to cost a lot. You can do a number of very simple things - encouraging people to take the stairs instead of the lift, or walking at lunchtime for example, and we're trying to get people to cycle to work.
"A gym isn't for everyone. It's about making a lifestyle change and if something doesn't suit you and you'd rather walk or cycle, that's important. Certainly we see a number of companies that provide a room for aerobics or Pilates and subsidise an instructor. That's very positive," says O'Rourke.
Intel, which employees 5,500 people in Ireland, was among the first companies in Ireland to encourage employees to get fit. The on-site recreational facility at its headquarters in Leixlip, Co Kildare, known as the Fitness Factory opened in 1995. It consists of a sauna, fully equipped gym and a sports hall for indoor soccer, basketball, volleyball, yoga and aerobics. Employees have access to a part-time fitness instructor to plan exercise programmes and fitness assessments.
Microsoft in the Sandyford Industrial Estate and DePuy Ireland, a Johnson & Johnson company specialised in the manufacture of orthopaedics, in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, also have on-site gyms and fitness classes.
"The gym helps keep the work-life balance," says Julie Lynch, a HR officer with DePuy. "We all have busy schedules and spend a lot of time travelling to and from work so we might not be able to get to the gym. It's of great benefit to have one on site and it's very popular."
Last December, Hibernian opened the doors to its new headquarters in Park Lane, Dublin. Based on feedback from employees, a gym and specially designed rooms for fitness classes were incorporated into the design.
While older company headquarters may not have the space or resources for specially equipped fitness facilities, many like AOL in Waterford are making the effort to accommodate exercise classes, sports tournaments and weight management meetings.
"People find it hard to make changes to their lifestyle and anything that helps is good news," says Dr John Mark O'Riordan, the Irish College of General Practitioners representative on the National Taskforce on Obesity.
"Not having the time is one of the major reasons people give for not exercising. Certainly it's easy to find reasons not to exercise, but you will feel better if you do and you will have more energy. People need any encouragement they can get, or even a good boot - and this is definitely a step in the right direction," he says.