Practical advice for HR professionals

Article Type: How to … From: Strategic HR Review, Volume 9, Issue 4

Address physical activity in the workplace

The recommended guidelines for remaining fit and healthy are to carry out at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity (e.g. brisk walking) a day,through leisure time, daily tasks and work-related physical activity (World Health Organization, 2009), yet at least 60 percent of the population fail to reach this minimum.

With modern technology meaning that our working lives are becoming more demanding and 24/7, employers need to be aware that work commitments are often contributing factors to decreased levels of physical activity. This gives rise to the question: should employers now be looking to review workplace practices to try to ensure that their workforces, where possible, have the opportunities to increase activity levels? The following steps will help organizations address physical activity in the workplace.

1 Know your people

The first step for any organization looking to improve the level of activity and fitness among the workforce is to learn more about the actual people themselves. All organizations have different cultures, different processes and different priorities. There is no one quick fix solution that fits all environments and therefore employers need to identify four key areas prior to beginning to look at possible interventions. They are: the overall activity levels of the workforce; roles that are particularly stressful or require a much larger time commitment; what is currently stopping employees from reaching the recommended levels of physical activity; and how to motivate the individual to modify their behavior. It can be difficult to understand fully the extent of existing activity levels among the workforce, however, by identifying this information effectively employers will be more secure in the knowledge that any interventions introduced will be tailored to organizational needs and therefore they will actually make a difference.

2 Address the barriers

It is important to have an understanding of the extent of the physical activity undertaken by the employee, if they do any at all, to understand if existing organizational strategies actually work and to identify the barriers that prevent the individual from becoming active. Common barriers may include the cost of becoming involved with exercise, family commitments, high stress levels, long working hours, long travel time to and from work, etc. It is important for employers to identify which of these barriers relate to their workforce to ensure any interventions introduced respond to the main barriers preventing employees from reaching the recommended levels of physical activity. This also provides an excellent opportunity to discuss individual motivations and to understand better the strategies that will impact positively upon behavioral patterns.

3 Match interventions to organizational needs

Having identified the barriers that relate to the workplace and workforce,the organization is able to ensure that any interventions that are introduced suit both the culture of the organization and the needs of the employees and employer. This is why an increased understanding of the physical requirements of different work roles, the stress associated with different roles and positions within the company, and activity levels outside of the workplace are the most important aspects to ensure subsequent interventions are dovetailed to specific organizational needs.

4 Treat it as an investment

In an attempt to try to encourage businesses to take an interest in their workforce, employee health checks are now tax deductible in the UK (Health and Safety Executive, 2009) along with any costs incurred trying to understand organizational activity levels and subsequent interventions. Consequently, such undertakings should not be seen as a cost to the business, but an investment. Furthermore, low physical activity levels have a direct impact on the financial side of the business due to employee absence through sickness and stress, lower productivity levels, temporary staff cover and a higher staff turnover resulting in the need to increase recruitment spend. The UK’s Health and Safety Executive in 2004 identified the cost to British business of sickness absence as£12 billion per year. The two most common causes for absence are back pain and musculoskeletal disorders, and work-related stress, depression and anxiety. These two common complaints can be directly improved by increased physical activity. While hitting the gym three times a week is not going to cure all back pain or depression, increased activity levels can strengthen muscles and joints,give you more energy in the long term and release endorphins that provide a feel good factor helping to alleviate stress and depression.

5 Integrate with talent management

It is not a case of should employers be concerned about physical activity levels in the workplace, it is a case of how can employers best support their workforce to improve levels of activity. The benefits of increased activity are well documented showing that increased fitness has not only a positive effect on an individual’s personal life and the quality and longevity of their life,but also their ability to perform in the workplace. Now that work/life balance is one of the key priorities for employees, if organizations want to attract and retain the best talent available, they need to take physical activity into consideration.

Kelly Goodwin and Paul BoyceSchool of Services Management, Bournemouth University, Poole, UK

About the authors

Kelly Goodwin is a senior lecturer in exercise physiology at Bournemouth University. Her main area of research is physiologically based and she draws on her experience from both industry and academia to inform her work with businesses. Kelly Goodwin is the corresponding author and can be contacted at: kgoodwin@bournemouth.ac.uk

Paul Boyce is a lecturer in sport administration at Bournemouth University. His main areas of research are in work/life integration and the promotion of activity in the workplace.