Watching Your Figure? Your Boss May be.

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3751613416930917231.post-385577621863174202008-05-02T14:41:00.000-04:002008-05-02T14:42:56.092-04:00Watching Your Figure? Your Boss May be.If you think that your weight is nobody’s business, try telling that to your employer. I have had several clients openly share their criteria on employee selection and performance with an eye on body size. “He is too heavy and I wonder about his energy to meet our work demands,” and “People who are too heavy, this reflects a lack of discipline,” are just a couple of statements I’ve heard reflecting a bias against size in the work place. <o:p> </o:p>In addition to bias, ever soaring health insurance costs are driving more companies to focus on wellness and making employee health a part of their culture. General Mills has made “healthy weight” a cornerstone of a wellness mission statement, launching dozens of fitness programs for its workers. An <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Atlanta</st1:place></st1:City> marketing firm launched a “Biggest Loser” style weight-loss contest that has morphed into workouts of up to five hours a day for the most zealous participants. In <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Indianapolis</st1:City></st1:place>, one employer proposed $30 fines for overweight workers. <o:p> </o:p>Perhaps the most dramatic move is where several companies have implemented a policy requiring that all employees, and their spouses, must submit to a physical exam at work to qualify for employer-sponsored insurance. Potential employees whose body mass index is too high are not offered positions and current employees are encouraged to hit the exercise mat. <o:p> </o:p>Health care costs are a volatile subject for companies, individuals and political platforms. Double-digit percentage increases from a few years ago are being moderated as employers have passed along more of the bill to workers. But, costs are expected to spike 9 percent in 2008, which is up 5.3 percent from 2007, according to Hewitt Associations Consulting. <o:p> </o:p>Consequently, employers are focusing on reducing the demand for health care by addressing their employee’s health. For a growing number of companies, this means using the workplace as a forum to preach the benefits of eating better, eating less and exercising more. <o:p></o:p>In my next blog, I will address how employees are responding to these changes. <o:p> </o:p>About Charlie Cumminshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09754886484050898155noreply@blogger.com