Should Companies Allow Employees to Exercise on Work Time - Assignment Example

Should Companies Allow Employees To Exercise On Work Time? Several studies have confirmed the link between productivity, mood elevation and exercise. The benefit of exercises have been overtly been documented over time. This study seeks to determine why companies should allow employees to exercise on work time by effectively integrating a program that allows employees regular exercise during working hours. This study outlines the benefits that the organization derives from keeping their employees physically healthy and its effects on the productivity and final output of the organization. After identification of the problem in this study, available literature was reviewed from credible sources in order to check the consentience of the findings of this study with other already established studies. Data analysis was then performed and the findings drawn and discussed. Companies Should Allow Employees to Exercise on Work Time Chapter 1: Introduction and Statement of the Problem Introduction Physical inactivity due to lack of exercise is the leading cause of global health issues in modern times. Lack of regular exercise causes low cardio-respiratory fitness which comes with high risks of low productivity, absenteeism and even deaths. As such, the benefits of exercises in the workplace cannot be overstated. This is because it is beneficial not only to the general lifestyle of the employees, but also have a direct impact on their performance in the workplace. This study will focus on a company that has twenty employees. Some of the employees exercise regularly while the rest do not. This study seeks to discern the benefits shown by those who engage in regular exercise as opposed to those that do not exercise. The criteria involved observation of how employees who worked out actively participated in vigorous work hours and the level of productivity compared to those that did not work out. The company on focus is ABC shipping company that employs twenty employees aged between 23 and 55 years. The work involved is energy intensive and therefore employees need to be energized and rejuvenated all day along to handle the heavy loading and offloading cargo and other activities. The concern is that not all employees exercise and therefore lose their overall activity earlier than those who exercise during work hours. This study sought to discern the contribution of work hours’ exercise to such employees. Statement of Problem Most of the employees do not work out during their working hours and therefore have a problem with enduring strong work pace and vigorous working activities. A shipping company, just like many of the other companies has different jobsites in a day’s workload. This study gathered the data from selected employees for several days. The observation was done on randomly selected days. Discretion was maintained so that employees were not aware of being observed. Purpose of Study The purpose of this study is to determine whether companies should give employees an opportunity to exercise during working hours. This research purposes to evaluate the benefits of exercise to employee. Some of the major benefits of exercise is improved productivity, control of absenteeism and prevention of cardio-related health issues that is the leading cause of deaths. Research Questions In order to draw proper deductions from this study, this research aimed at answering the following question: Does allowing employees to exercise during work time help the company to improve its efficiency and productivity? Hypothesis There is a great difference in the production level of employees who exercised and those who did not. Limitations of the Study This study did not have many limitations other than the constitution of the participants and the size of the sample. The participants of this study were randomly selected but still there was no way of guaranteeing that they represented the population of the workers under investigation. Another limitation was lack of quantification of the amount of effort the employees put in their work. This is because they were working out of duty and therefore there is no way of knowing if they were working under full capacity or while withholding. As such this important factor remains uncontrollable. Chapter 2: Literature Review Chronic diseases such as chronic pulmonary conditions, heart diseases and diabetes have in the last decade proven to be “lifestyle diseases” which are primarily caused by lifestyle issues such as alcoholism, tobacco consumption, poor nutrition, and inactivity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). This trend reduces the quality of life leading to disability and premature deaths and has therefore become a huge burden to the United States in terms of increasing government expenditure on healthcare provision. Another major concern is the fact that chronic diseases, which have for a long time been associated with the older generation is now affecting the working-age population. The early onset of chronic diseases not only affects the health of the public but also the economic burden related to the rising cost of treating chronic diseases. This results from absenteeism from work as well as presenteeism due to reduced performance at work. According to a survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, it was reported that individuals with chronic diseases had a prevalence rate of approximately four times higher for indirect costs such as absenteeism than those who do not have chronic diseases (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2010). The growing concerns of increased prevalence of chronic diseases in the United States has led to increased interest in wellness programs in the work sites. This is because employers are concerned about the effects of chronic diseases on the productivity of the work-age population. The more the cases of chronic diseases, the more the companies are required to spend more on the cost of employer-sponsored health coverage. As such, employers are adopting disease prevention and health promotion strategies in what is known as workplace wellness programs. Such programs aim to diagnose and treat diseases by engaging in activities-related exercises and also prevention of chronic disease when early signs are witnessed to prevent further health complications (National Business Group on Health, 2010). Workplace wellness programs involves addressing health-related and risky behaviors such as discouraging fatty and sugary foods with lots of calories and also by encouraging healthy diets which are low in fats and cholesterol. As such, the programs foster good health through behavior change through intervention. There are many benefits of workplace wellness programs to both the employers and employees. Although this label is very broad, there a range of benefits which are derived on the activities involved. Such activities include screening activities in order to identify health risks such as by measuring body weight; management of lifestyles such as by offering counselling on weight reduction and finally, undertaking health promotion activities such as exercises. Being healthy in general has become very vital especially in physically challenging jobs and manual labor. Modern lifestyle is increasingly stressing the need for healthy living which is achieved by regular exercise and healthy eating (Jensen, 2007). This research has identified some of the most important benefits that both employers and employees derive from undertaking regular exercise during work time. Decreased Absenteeism Rate High levels of absenteeism are more prominent with unhealthy employees who miss work due to health related issues. Healthy people who exercise regularly are more resistant to such ailments and therefore attend work without fail. As such, work places that have a work-site fitness center or offer their employees a paid- membership in the gym have been reported to experience increased job productivity and high job turnover due to lower levels of absenteeism (Doyle, 2007). Increased Energy Levels Manual laborers who exercise regularly during work hours have been proved to experience increased energy levels that allowed them to build endurance and increase their productivity levels at work. Such employees are mostly self-driven and they set high working standards for themselves therefore benefiting the employer too (Hellmich, 2008). There are other health benefits linked to exercising at work such as weight loss and reduced stress levels. Regular exercise helps employees lose the extra pounds thereby making them more active and rejuvenated. The reduction of stress levels is also beneficial as it reduced ulcers and heart problems thereby improving both mental and physical health of the employees (Colcombe, 2006). The levels of exercise differs between individuals just as individuals have different level of being healthy (Swain & Franklin, 2006). Exercise can take less time where employees gain more energy from concentrated bursts while others have high endurance and high levels of energy by working out long hours. Simple exercises such as walking every day for about an hour has been reported to helping people burn up to 1500 to 2000 calories weekly. The calories can be more depending on the endurance and vigor of the employees during the walking as more time and energy is consumed during the exercise. For instance, running or a faster jog is recommended for burning of more calories. Furthermore, one gains more endurance from such an exercise, if one starts slow and warms up to jogging or running. Performing exercise at a rigorous intensity is most preferred as it has greater cardio protective advantages compared to those undertaken at slow of moderate pace, holding constant the total expenditure of energy (Swain & Franklin, 2006). This implies that a person benefits more from an exercise depending on the efforts and energy that he/she puts in the exercise routine. Weight lifting is another level of exercise that can help employees increase their energy level and productivity. Weight lifting exercises are important in the work place as they build resistance. It is recommended that whether one is suffering from chronic diseases or is healthy, undertaking in a single-set resistance exercise programs. The exercise should include fifteen repetitions and take place at least twice in a week. The weight lifting exercise should encompass between eight and ten different types of exercises which target different types of major muscle groups. These types of exercises are very tough but also very important to employees who engage in manual jobs as it helps to build muscles and develop resistance to fatigue. References References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2010). "Chronic DiseaseOverview. 2011." As of March 14, 2015. Colcombe, S. J. (2006). Aerobic exercise training increases brain volume in aging humans. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences & Medical Sciences. Doyle, B. (2007). 10 reasons to encourage fitness in the workplace. Retrieved May 12, 2014, from http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Doyle4.html Hellmich, N. (2008). Action is louder than weight. USA Today. Jensen, M. (2007). Belly fat in men: what you need to know. MayoClinic.com. National Business Group on Health (2010).The Employee Mindset: Views, Behaviors and Solutions. Lincolnshire, Ill; Washington, D.C.: Hewitt Associates. PricewaterhouseCoopers (2010). Health and Well-being Touchstone Survey, Executive Summary. Swain, D. P. & Franklin, B. A. (2006). Comparison of cardio protective benefits of vigorous versus moderate intensity aerobic exercise. The American Journal of Cardiology. Read More