The benefits of a corporate fitness plan
How to create and implement a Corporate Fitness Benefit Plan
A strange phenomenon occurs at the same time every year in businesses all over America. The time-budget review for the next fiscal year. The occurrence-the collective wail of owners and finance directors at the impending health insurance increases. Is there a guaranteed method of relieving this recurring problem? One way to attack it would be to turn up the radios in your offices so that the music drowns out the pained screams. The alternative to that would be to take a look at setting up a corporate fitness benefit plan.
1) Identify the problem. Take a look at your work force, a personal look. As you know these are people with lives outside of the office. They have ups and downs, good times and bad; and through them all they are expected to show up to work every day and exceed your expectations. Is there anything you could do as a leader that could improve their quality of life, make them happier, make them healthier and in turn improve their productivity and job satisfaction? Owners and managers must take a proactive approach to their staff wellness. A corporate fitness benefit is a step in that direction.
2) Qualify a reasonable solution. Your intentions as a business owner or manager ideally are to the person first and their production second. In my experience this leads to incredible results from very happy people. The team work that you are looking for can be enhanced by setting up a fitness and wellness friendly work environment. This environment can include everything from on-site monthly wellness sessions like massage therapy, cholesterol screenings, nutrition seminars, etc. to a full health club membership for your entire staff. There are several corporations in Worcester providing a wide range of services that offer such a benefit to their associates.
3) Form a Wellness Committee. Now that you have developed a reasonable idea as to the direction you would like to take, open the process up to your most important resource-your own staff. Send an email out to the entire staff notifying them that your company will be forming a wellness committee. Ask anyone interested to send you and e-mail back stating why they would like to participate and how they would contribute. Make your selections based on equal representation of all demographic segments of your work force. Most companies look to a professional health and fitness company to work with the committee at least quarterly so that direction is established and action initiated.
4) Make a plan and stick to it for a year. Many people in business feel that the biggest problem with a good idea is you have to implement it. Too many meetings, too much analysis and far too much “brainstorming”. Once you make the decision to implement your corporate fitness benefit plan, commit to it for a year. Everything you do has a “pro” and a “con”. The leaders who garner the most respect are the ones that lead through positive reinforcement and unwavering support. Apply that momentum to a corporate fitness benefit plan and you will see happier and healthier employees. Together, they will develop new bonds and relationships with each other. They will coach and support each other and above all, they will identify their new found momentum and enthusiasm with the company they work for.
Step outside your office today and take a look at the people with whom you put the future of your company. Their health struggles are your struggles as well. Help them and you are helping yourself.
About the author
Joe Santa Maria has been in the fitness industry for fourteen years. He is Vice President of Business Development for Fitness Management Systems which owns Worcester Fitness and five other businesses.
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments