Exercise on Work Time - Coursework Example

Exercise on Work Time This study brings forth the general idea that exercise in the workplace is beneficial both to the employees and the organization as shown by previous experimentation and research. By reviewing literature, the study will show the significance of organizations keeping their employees physically healthy and fit to appropriately and punctually complete their duties. The study will be centered on reviewing and comparing literature on workplaces that allow and encourage employees to exercise while working and those that do not. Although the findings may not be applicable and practical to all working environments, the study also shows that they are not harmful to any organization. This is mainly because each organization is unique and characterized by its own culture, which implies that they must design and customize initiatives that work best for them. Exercise on Work Time Introduction Studies have shown that the benefits the workplace can realize from exercise are worth paying attention to. This study was conducted in the hospitality industry where one organization could have employees ranging from a few dozens to several thousands, but the findings can be applied to several other industries. The inclusion of an exercise schedule can help the business create and improve physical activity and wellness at the workplace. This is beneficial because work time can be used by employees for health promotion while still maintaining or improving productivity levels. When companies allow their employees to exercise during working time, they essentially allow them a platform to improve the balance between work and life (CDC, 2012). This is because the employees will not need to squeeze exercise time, which is necessary, into their already busy family and personal time. This study is also informed by the notion that business owners and managers need to acknowledge the fact that employees are their most important assets. Therefore, employees must be allowed to enjoy being at the workplace. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2012), implementing comprehensive wellness programs is beneficial to both the company and employees. However, they also point out that it is more important to successfully get employees to participate actively in the programs. According to studies conducted by the US Department of Labor, fitness programs, healthy food choices at the workplace, educational classes and seminars, especially at lunch hours, and emotional and mental tune-ups, are the commonest and most successful workplace wellness options (Ashe & Khan, 2009). Problem Statement According to Grillo (2014), people aggravate chronic diseases by their health habits. Since an employee will spend most of his time at the workplace, the workplace provides an appropriate setting to mitigate the provocation or onset of chronic disease. However, it has raised concerns after studies revealed that many companies not only fail to create and establish wellness initiatives, but also do not allow employees to participate in them during working hours (Maron, 2014). It is acceptable that the primary purpose of any business is to make profits for the shareholders. However, it is also imperative that employers acknowledge the role employees play towards realizing profits for the shareholders and include their welfare in the organizational priorities. However, the problem is that many companies perceive their employees just as part of the tools and processes that “get the job done”, without realizing that this perception comes at a cost to both the company and employees. Purpose of Study This study has been designed to review literature and confirm that allowing employees to exercise during working hours is actually beneficial to both the employees and the company. This does not necessarily mean diverting the employees’ productive time to exercises and reduce their working hours. Rather, it means strategically scheduling a small fraction of their working day, say taking 20 minutes of their lunch time, to participate in light exercise. Further, the study aims at confirming that adding exercise to the workday is an investment in the employees’ healthcare. Basing on this purpose, the research question is “Should companies allow employees to exercise on work time?” The limitation of the study is that workplaces are so diverse and each company will have to come up with specific solutions that suit its environment. Literature Review According to Johnston (2011), excessive exercise is harmful but the total lack of it is equally harmful. Grillo (2014) supports this opinion and asserts that physical fitness not only positively contributes to muscle strength, healthy weight and stronger immune systems, but also affects employee performance positively. Viewed from another perspective, when employee performance is enhanced, it means direct gains for the company. The CDC (2012) established that the average worker in the American hospitality industry spends up to nine hours working every day. Although their work may not exactly be described as sedentary, the monotonous routine has its toll on their bodies. Therefore, for employees to bring their best everyday to work, they must enjoy being at the workplace and being allowed to embrace fitness as a choice of lifestyle is one way of ensuring they enjoy being at the workplace. According to Grillo (2014) employers are obligated to take the initiative to identify health risks associated with the workplace and intervene to either prevent or manage them. In support of this opinion, Wattles and Harris (2008) suggest that these obligations need to be taken further by the inclusion of activities that promote health such as taking a few minutes off work to exercise. Employees are often too busy with family life or simply too tired to find time for working out after work. Wattles and Harris (2008) opine that the routine between work and family leads a piling up of fatigue that reflects on the productivity of employees at work. McGill (2009) agree and recommend that employers allows employees exercise time at work rather than employees squeezing in time for extreme exercise in their own spare time. The underlying idea in this model is moderation and an optimum balance between work and life, which results in fit employees who are less likely to get sick. According to Swain and Franklin (2009), fit employees will have more energy because sustained energy is one of the benefits gained from light and regular rather intense and irregular exercise. Wattles and Harris (2008) had earlier expressed the same views when they showed that fit employees exhibit higher levels of self-esteem and self-confidence. Fit employees are confident in themselves because they have shown themselves that they are capable of accomplishing what is required to achieve and maintain fitness, which is not easy for everyone. According to Ashe and Khan (2009), such confidence will empower them to challenge themselves, which directly translates into striving for higher achievement levels at the workplace. Essentially, higher achievement levels are what any employer demands of their employees. Although Johnston (2011) supports the idea of fit employees being more confident, he is against extreme measures of acquiring fitness. His opinion is that fitness must begin with a mindset, and the confidence exuded by fit employees will serve to inspire other employees to enroll in wellness initiatives at the workplace. The rationale behind this reasoning is that other employees will have confidence in employees who are confident in themselves, and the ultimate beneficiary in this chain of confidence-building is the employer and the business (Ashe & Khan, 2009). Further, because of the positive benefits they get from their lifestyle, fit employees often tend to get and perform well at leadership roles. According to the CDC (2012), this is because fit employees have already taken the decision to exercise and achieve their goal of getting fit, and the same attitude can be replicated in their professional roles. Fitness always demands that one not only sets but achieves goals related to fitness, and Maron (2014) supports this by saying that staying to true to one’s goals to completion is a characteristic that employees naturally bring to the workplace. Again, the ultimate beneficiary of this is the employer and the business. According to McGill (2009), an employee who has the proven capacity to not only set but achieve aggressive goals is among the most valuable assets a company can have. This should act as a pointer to employers because staying fit is known to be one of the most difficult goals to achieve (McGill, 2009). Statistics by the CDC (2012) indicate that approximately 70% of company expenditures related to healthcare are because of conditions that can be prevented. The report also shows that companies that have opted to support the ability of employees to manage good health rather than managing illness costs have considerably lowered the chances of paying out huge healthcare claims. These findings are supported by Maron (2014) who opines that it pays off when employers demonstrate concerns for the well-being of their employees by encouraging fitness at the workplace. Apart from the actual benefits employees gain from their personal fitness, they are also conscious to and notice when employers demonstrate concern for their health and this will significantly reduce costly employee turnover (Wattles & Harris, 2008). Conclusion This study was conducted via literature review with the aim of showing that it is beneficial for companies to allow employees to exercise at work. It has been shown that fit employees are actually an asset to a company because they have the correct attitude towards work and are confident in themselves. Therefore, the culture of wellness must begin with the leadership and company vision that encourage employees to work together by supporting the health goals of each other. According to Ashe and Khan (2009), the company must bear the initiative and start by building support, planning and assessing the program and them promote and implement it. This is not only because employee health benefits form part of the overall compensation package but will also affect the employees’ willingness to perform to their optimum abilities. This study answers the question whether companies should allow employees to exercise during working hours in the affirmative. References Ashe, M., & Khan, K. (2009). Exercise prescription. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 17(1), 114-121. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2012). Steps to wellness: A guide to implementing the 2008 physical activity guidelines for Americans in the workplace. Atlanta: US Department of Health and Human Services. Grillo, M.C. (2014). Workplace wellness programs: Are they part of the answer to the U.S.’s growing healthcare crisis? Retrieved from http://www.cornellhrreview.org/tag/maria-carolina-grillo/ Johnston, O. (2011). Excessive exercise: From quantitative categorisation to a qualitative continuum approach. European Eating Disorders Review, 19(3), 237-248. Maron, B. (2014). Recommendations for physical activity and recreational sports participation for young patients with genetic cardiovascular diseases. Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, 109(22), 807-840. McGill, S. (2009). Ultimate back fitness and performance. Ontario: Backfitpro. Swain, D., & Franklin, B. (2009). Comparison of cardioprotective benefits of vigorous versus moderate intensity aerobic exercise. The American Journal of Cardiology, 39(3), 1102-1109. Wattles, M., & Harris, C. (2008). The relationship between fitness levels and employee’s perceived productivity, job satisfaction, and absenteeism. Journal of Exercise Physiology, 21(4), 411-416. Read More