UK Based Companies Should Offer Free Gym Membership to Employees - Research Paper Example

UK based companies should offer free gym membership to employees Introduction It is a general knowledge that physical exercise works to enhance the level of activeness in people. Physical exercises play numerous functions in a human body that sum up to keep an individual person active and rested at appropriate times. Concisely, physical exercises improve health conditions of individuals who involve in regular body exercise. Common exercise activities include and not limited to running, jogging, press-ups, frog-jumps, arm stretch, weight lifting, skating and playing ball games like football, rugby, netball, volleyball and basketball that involve rigorous body movements. Unfortunately, some of the common physical exercises listed like most ball games and skating are not appropriate for a workplace setting, where individuals have to attend to their job routines. This relates to usual unavailability of enough space in most working areas to support establishment of pitches, and time to support playing of the games to completion. This leaves workplaces with gym as alternative and most viable ways to achieve physical exercises for employees (Reice 2005, p. 28). Gym is flexible and follows coordinated line of activities that can take short time and enable employees return to complete their job allocations. Owing to wide advantages of physical exercises, UK employers have every positive reason to provide employees with free membership to gyms. Report question Should UK based companies allow provide to employees free membership to the gym? Objective of the report The main objective of this report is to persuade as many UK based companies to offer free gym membership to their employees due to reasons that will follow in the discussion. Literature review Gym is a vital place for physical exercise especially for the working class individuals who have fixed schedules (Carlson 2005, p.1). Working individuals can take advantage of the flexible gym schedule and make short visits for body exercises. The visits can be during lunchtime, evening after work or during breaks. Research findings published in 2011 in the Journal of Occupational Medicine confirmed that body exercise for working individuals improved their productivity (By 2012). Exercises make employees to have proper physical fitness that increase energy levels in the body and reduce chances of ‘slumps’ when productive reduces. The entire effect is thriving and high productivity of businesses served by employees who involve in regular body exercises. Body exercises conducted in the gyms assist in improving health conditions of employees and consequently reduce absenteeism and sick leaves (Reilly 2010, p. 10). From healthcare perspective, physical exercises lower risks of developing type II diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity and heart disease. Reduction in the risks of developing heart diseases, obesity and diabetes relates to the fact that heat generated during exercise burn excess fats that could be in the body of a person (Ann 2000, p. 11). In addition, exercises trigger fatty cells to facilitate conversion of fats to energy used to sustain exercise. Exercises also have the potential to improve immune system of people, which increases resistance to viruses and bacteria that can make a person become sick. Besides reducing absenteeism and sick leaves, exercises also help employers to reduce expenditures on employees’ healthcare, which help in increasing total revenues made a business (Fickensher 2004, p. 16). According to Kreitner (2009, p. 21), exercises that are also available in gyms have the potential of increasing jovial and happy moods in people. Exercises work to foster mental health and increase sense of wellness. Exercises enhance moods by balancing out chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters that are responsible for mood regulation. In addition, aerobic exercises have the ability to facilitate release of endorphins, which are chemicals responsible for a sense of wellness in human beings (Stowe 2007, p.10). From the analysis, exercises have a general ability of reducing depression while enhancing confidence and self-esteem, which are important traits in building a happy, focused, determined and committed workforce. Farleigh University published research report that showed that workplace stress cost American employees a mean of $200 billion yearly, which spread out in the form of missed workdays, employee turnover and reduced productivity (By, 2012). Methodology The research that guided compilation of the report employed both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The research targeted two companies in UK that deal in software development and programming. The names of the companies are A and Q and both base in London. Both company A and Q have forty employees who perform different roles with respect to the different stages of development of software. During the research, it was evident that company A has clear plans for its employees to attend gym. This manifested through existence of well-furnished gym room having time schedules for different groups of employees to attend gym. Company Q on the other hand did not have any plan or schedule for employees to attend gyms. This was evident through inquiries conducted by the researchers when in the company. To determine the effects of organizational cultures of the two companies on employees and general performance of the companies, researchers opted administer questionnaires, conduct interviews and take measurements. Questionnaires Researchers administered open questionnaires to employees of the two companies. Questions targeted to employees in company Q included: 1. What is your view about regular body exercises? 2. How do you feel when you return home after work? 3. In a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being low and 10 being high, how would you rate your motivation to continue with working for your current employer? Questions targeted to employees in company A included: 1. What benefit can you associate with the gym program you have within the work environment? 2. Do you complete your tasks in time? 3. What is the frequency of employee absenteeism due to fatigue or sickness? 4. How can you describe the general mood of your work environment? 5. In a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being low and 10 being high, what are the chances that you can quite working with this company and seek employment elsewhere? Interviews The researchers conducted interviews only for the administrators of the two companies. For the purpose of the research, similar interview questions applied to administrators of both companies. The interview questions were as follows: 1. What plans does your company have to encourage your employees to involve in regular exercise? 2. Since gym is a viable tool for enabling employee exercise while within working hours, do you think you can consider arranging for gym programs for your employees? 3. Do know of any competitor company that provides gym services to its employees? 4. How can you compare employee performance or company productivity between companies with gyms and those without? 5. Do you think it is appropriate for companies to start providing free gym services to their employees? Measurements To obtain proper and reliable data of speed of employee performance, the researchers organized two similar projects software development divided between company A and Q. The aim was to measure and compare time taken by each company to complete the projects. Researchers measured and recorded time taken by each employee in both companies to finish their allocated tasks in the line of developing the software. Findings and analysis Employees in company Q unanimously expressed that exercises are good for the general health of a person. The employees also said that they would love and enjoy working if their employer organized programs for gym. Majority indicated responded that they suffer from serious fatigue every evening when returning home from work, which makes them sleep earlier and wake up late. About 35 of the 40 employees rated their morale to continue working for the company Q as below five. Employees of company A on the other hand, depicted high morale and increased spirit to serve in their current capacities (Carmody 2005). The employees unanimously responded that employee absenteeism is low, working mood is usually good and comforting and tasks completion is usually on time. Majority counting to 30 indicated that their likelihood to quite their job was below four in the scale of 1 to 10, I being low and 10 being high. The only reason that can make them quite is if prospective employer is offering higher pay and promise better work environment. The administrators of both company A and Q admitted that exercises are good tools to enhance employee activeness. They also admitted that active employees are vital assets for companies, and that it is important for companies to allow employees time for physical exercises. The administrators indicated that companies that especially competitors that have gym programs for employees perform better than those who do not have gym programs (Shull 2009). While acknowledging that companies are the great beneficiaries of active and productive employees, the administrators of the two companies expressed concerns that companies should offer free gym membership to employees (Donkin 2004). In measurement, company A took shorter time of about one week to complete the software development project assigned by the researchers. Company Q took 13 days to complete the same project. Employees in company A took shorter time to complete their tasks and demonstrated high levels of commitment, care, determination and vigor as well as reduce errors (Bohlander & Snell 2007, pg.11). Employees of company Q on the other hand were slow, depicted fatigue, somber mood, low morale and committed many errors that made the project to take six days more than the one worked by company A. Conclusion Exercises are good and viable tools to enhance activeness of individuals. Active individuals are very productive and can complete projects within shorter time. Exercises also assist individuals in improving immune systems and enjoy good defense against viral and bacterial diseases that can elongate their downtime. Furthermore, exercises assist individuals in raising morale and motivation as well as social and interpersonal skills that foster cooperation. Gyms are good establishments to assist especially working class individuals to perform body exercises. It is for the many reasons that companies in UK should organize free gym membership for their employees considering that companies enjoy great benefits from productivity of employees. References ANN, H.P., 2000. You have to be a cool place to work if you want to keep employees. Credit Union Magazine, 66(11), pp. 47. BOHLANDER, G. W., & SNELL, S., 2007. Managing human resources. Mason, Ohio, Thomson. BY, C.L., 2012, Dec 30. Gym for countys employees intended to boost morale. McClatchy - Tribune Business News. CARLSON, L., 2005. Employers continue to invest in fitness. Employee Benefit News, , pp. 1. CARMODY, D.P., 2005, Oct 03. Some employers offer incentives to get their employees to live healthier lives. Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, 1. DONKIN, R., 2004, Feb 26. Why health is good for your bottom line. In-house gyms and salad bars should be seen as more than employee benefits and more than recruitment tools,they have ..LH.-an impact on competitiveness. Financial Times, 15. ISSN 03071766. FICKENSHER, L., 2004. Employers finding corporate gyms work out well. Business insurance, 38(10), pp. 16. KREITNER, R., 2009. Management. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. REICE, R.M., 2005. Comprehensive benefits key to retaining talented staff. Nations Restaurant News, 39(47), pp. 28-31. REILLY, D. J., 2010. Employee benefits and executive compensation: proceedings of the New York University 59th Annual Conference on Labor. Alphen aan den Rijn, Kluwer Law International. SHULL, A., 2009, Jul 26. More hours, more convenience: 24-hour gyms look at luring customers with extended hours. McClatchy - Tribune Business News. STOWE, G., 2007. Insurance companies recognize gym membership. Tribune Business Weekly, 18(51), pp. 10. Read More