A company need to think a lot about when planning an on-site fitness facility for its employees. First, a company must determine if it can afford the cost of implementing and maintaining a fitness center. The Employment Law Information Network points out that a company should consider the liability issues in addition to weighing the annual return on its investment when deciding whether to make a fitness program available to employees.
Benefits Vs. Risks
Fitness centers in the workplace help motivate employees to get fit by allowing them to work out before or after work hours. Some individuals even opt to get in a short workout over their lunch break. When employees focus more on being healthy and fit, they often suffer fewer illnesses. As a result, employers and employees alike can benefit from savings in health care costs. Healthier employees are likely to be more productive at work as well as use fewer sick days. Yet an employer must measure the potential benefits of an on-site fitness center with the possible risks and disadvantages.
Potential Disadvantages
One major problem with many on-site fitness centers is that they are not adequately staffed. Some on-site facilities are not supervised at all during the day. However, if a company wants its employees to utilize an on-site facility, a friendly, knowledgeable and well-trained staff can be a definite benefit. According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, surveys show that a competent, trained fitness staff contributes to ongoing employee participation in employer-sponsored health and fitness programs. Well-trained staff on hand to manage a fitness center also helps reduce the risk of injuries. Another disadvantage of exercise equipment available at the workplace is that some employees might use it at times when they should be working. A company's management team needs to make certain that employees are only using the center at approved times when the fitness staff is available to supervise exercise and safe use of the equipment.
Condition of Exercise Equipment
Companies should only use sturdy exercise equipment in a fitness room, selecting equipment, which can withstand a lot of wear and tear. While some on-site facilities are not properly equipped, in other cases, equipment is not maintained as it should be. The layout of a fitness facility is also essential to the safe use of equipment. Trained staff should be available at all times when an on-site fitness facility is open to employees. Staff should provide any employees who utilize the fitness center with an orientation that includes specific instructions on how to safely use the exercise equipment. Equipment should be regularly maintained and repaired as needed. Any unsafe machines should be removed after routine inspection of the equipment.
Promoting Safety
A company can take several steps to make an on-site fitness center safer for those employees using the facility. Employees staffing a fitness center should be well trained and know how to safely use all equipment. The manufacturer's instructions for the use of equipment should be posted where they can be easily seen. An emergency plan should be in place for any unexpected situations that could arise. There should also be several first aid kits accessible in the fitness center. Because each person who uses an exercise machine leaves germs behind, an employer should take the steps necessary to reduce the spread of infection by having the facility cleaned routinely and the equipment disinfected often. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that germs can live on surfaces for two hours or longer and are easily spread when others touch those surfaces.
References
- Employment Law Information Network: Establish On-Site Fitness Rooms or Exercise Facilities
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Providing Physical Fitness Programs
- Kansas City Business Journal: On-Site Fitness Centers Create Healthy Employees and Bottom Line
- ABCNews.com: Gym Germs Can Make You Sick
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Understand How Infectious Diseases Spread
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