It is the end of the fiscal year and as we take a look at corporate financial health it is also a time to reflect on the line items from the balance sheet.
The Fitness Industry Council of Canada (FIC) represents the voice of fitness facility operators across Canada.? Representing over 5,000 facilities with over 4 million members nationwide, FIC pursues a legislative agenda in the hope of bettering the fitness industry for both consumers and operators. They have reported on a National Wellness Survey completed in 2000.
Here are a few stats found on their web site pertaining to the Benefits of Corporate Wellness and the results from the survey:
National Wellness Survey Report 2000
The Second Tri-Annual Buffet Taylor National Wellness Survey shows that workplace wellness is becoming increasingly important to the Canadian Business community. Four hundred and twenty-two businesses representing 716,885 employees responded to the 1999 survey.
Results:
- 17.5% of companies are offering comprehensive worksite wellness programs
- 64% are offering some wellness initiatives
- The top four reasons why these companies offer worksite wellness programs:
1. ??27.3% consider healthy employees a valuable asset
2. ??25.6% want to promote a healthy lifestyle
3.? ?14.3% want to reduce absenteeism
4.? ?10.1% want to contain the costs of benefit programs - The wellness initiatives being offered include:
Employee Assistance programs ? 49.3%?-
CPR and First Aid ? 47.6%?-
Smoking cessation ? 35.7%?-
Ergonomics ? 32.9%?-
Stress management ? 32.4%?-
Wellness posters ? 30.9%?-
Flu Shot clinic ? 30.2%?-
Fitness subsidy ? 29.0%?-
Safety ? 26.3%?-
Back care program ? 24.6% - 35.5% feel that incentives are needed to encourage employees to participate fully in wellness programs. (Emerging data in the United States suggests that incentives are important ? Chapman, 1998)
- The two most important incentives were cited as recognition programs and paid work time to attend wellness workshops.
- Only 23.9% evaluated their wellness programs, which explains why the data is so limited.
- A majority underestimate the time it takes to show reasonable improvements in employee health (e.g., Canada Life 10-year analysis provides one of the best indicators).
- The following were cited as the five most important reasons their companies do not have a comprehensive wellness program in place:
1. ??Lack of resources ? 40.8%
2. ??Lack of staffing ? 38.6%
3. ??Concern about implementation costs ? 32.1%
4. ??Lack of knowledge about employee wellness programs ? 19.6%
5. ??Unconvinced of cost savings ? 17.6% - 83.1% cited stress as the major health risk in their organizations
- The most used strategies for coping with increasing benefits costs are:
1. ??Disability management ? 48.8%
2. ??Attendance management ? 40.1%
3. ??Managed drug formularies ? 38.9%
Please visit the Fitness Industry Council of Canada web site for the full article and additional information.
Written by: Trish Tonaj of Phaze2inc.
