14 corporate wellbeing Survival of the fittest


Daily, the media dishes out obesity and diabetes data, reports on eating disorders, cancer and heart disease, frightening statistics yet largely ignored by an apathetic public spouting ‘it won’t happen to me’. But it already is. How many of your colleagues, friends and family looked trim and fit five years ago? What happened, writes Carl Garton of The FitFarm?


It boils down to one word: responsibility


We each own a body – for life. But it is too easily taken for granted – poor nutrition, lack of exercise, too much work and not enough play. And as if overnight, the body looks and feels different, it doesn’t function like it used to; illnesses creep in, visits to doctor, days off sick.


You may have noticed how some of your once highly productive, enthusiastic, loyal employees have ‘changed’. Their shape, their attitude, their health. For each employee that has changed in this way, how much effect does it have on your bottom line and can you do anything about it?


Introduce a ‘wellbeing culture’


According to the Health and Safety Executive website: “As an employer you have a legal responsibility to protect the health and safety of your staff ... you must manage the health and safety risks in your workplace”. Yet there is no mention of the risk to your business with regard to unhealthy employees. To significantly and successfully reduce the risk, you need your employees to buy into a company-wide ‘wellbeing culture’. Educate them. Inspire them. Encourage them to want good health. Many may already be trying, unsuccessfully,


to change poor lifestyle habits. With the right guidance, they could flourish rather than flounder.


Employees are a ‘captive audience’ while on your premises


It would therefore make sense to take the lead and offer a complete solution in the shape of a corporate wellbeing programme.


Let’s face it, all employees appreciate perks big and small – from car allowances to desktop massages, medical insurance to store discount cards. But what is life if we don’t have our health? The most timely, life-enhancing tick on the perks list is a well-being programme. And before long, it may become a prerequisite: “...the annual economic costs of sickness absence and worklessness associated with ill-health are over £100 billion a year – greater than the current annual NHS budget.” (Source: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/hwwb- working-for-a-healthier-tomorrow.pdf)


Why wait until the Government steps in when the benefits are unashamedly two-fold: your company gets healthier employees and your employees get better health. Any costs incurred are far outweighed by the long-to-mid term benefits: improved staff retention and productivity, reduced absenteeism and sick


Great prize for SMEs


SMEs that attend a special symposium on the economy in Reading in December get the chance to win a great prize. Fitness expert The FitFarm is giving an SME a prize worth up to £3,000


SMEs that attend the free breakfast event on December 8 at the Royal Berkshire Conference Centre, Madejski Stadium, Reading, will participate in a draw to win one of three options:


1. 1 x Nutritional Workshop for up to 30 people (worth £750)


1 x Stress Management Workshop for up to 30 people (worth £750)


Health Screening for 20 people (worth £1,040)


Total Value of package = £2,540 www.businessmag.co.uk


2. One-on-one Nutritional Consultations for 16 people (worth £1,200)


Seated Chair Massage for 40 people (worth £600)


Health Screening for 15 people (worth £780)


Total Value of package = £2,580


3. £3k off The FitFarm’s £10k Corporate Health & Wellbeing Deal. Details available upon request.


Total Value of package = £3,000 THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – DECEMBER 11/JANUARY 12


The SME 100 session will be a Question Time- style discussion, with the following experts on the panel:


Stuart Green, economist, Santander


Stephen Edwards, group tax partner, Haines Watts Bill Annan, partner, Clifton Ingram Angus Murray, international trade adviser, UKTI


The discussion will be chaired by David Murray, publisher of The Business Magazine.


If you are an SME and would like to attend, email Linda Morse at linda@elcot.co.uk


leave, a workforce that feels appreciated and cared for, all leading to increased profits.


The theory is straightforward, win-win. But how easy is it to initiate a corporate wellbeing programme’?


There are several routes, for instance you could install an on-site gym for convenient pop in sessions, or engage the services of health professionals, who will visit your workplace and provide a selection of health solutions, or hook up with a company that provides fitness activities and wellbeing guidance off-site.


The FitFarm has been offering comprehensive corporate wellbeing programmes for the past five years providing a bespoke service to blue chip companies. We offer health screening, one-to-one fitness, nutrition and stress management strategies as well as group workshops that are successfully and consistently improving the health of employees through education and empowerment. If you would like to make a significant difference to the lives of your employees and find out how to set your company ablaze with wellbeing, contact us – details below.


Details: 01635-864547 www.fitfarm.co.uk.


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