On-site fitness centre ups staff productivity and reduces absence
The association of health status, worksite fitness center participation, and two measures of productivity. Burton WN, McCalister KT, Chen CY, Edington DW. J Occup Environ Med. 2005. 47: 343-351.
Aim
To examine the effect of an on-site corporate fitness centre on employees' productivity and absenteeism.
Looked at
999 US-based employees of Bank One who completed a health risk appraisal and the Work Limitations Questionnaire in 2002; 200 participated in the fitness centre (the intervention group) and 799 did not (the control group).
How?
Data from the questionnaires and absence records for participants were compared with data from nonparticipants.
Results
- When baseline demographic differences were controlled for, strong associations were found between participation in the fitness centre and improved productivity, as well as reduced work absence.
- Fewer fitness centre participants reported work impairment than nonparticipants.
- Those who did not join the fitness centre were nearly twice as likely as participants to report health-related work limitations in time management and physical work, and 1.5 times as likely to report limitations in overall output.
- Assuming an average wage of US$200 per day, it was calculated that nonparticipants cost $258 more in lost work time per employee than participants.
What does this mean?
A work-based fitness centre such as this can make a valuable contribution to increasing productivity and decreasing absence.