What Some Employers Are Doing

In June of 2003 the Washington Business Group on Health founded the Institute on the Costs and Health Effects of Obesity. This group consists of 175 large private and public-sector employers. It will propose strategies to decrease obesity among workers and help reduce the impact of weight-related conditions in the workplace.

Here are examples of what some companies are doing:

 The CDC has encouraged its employees to use the stairways by making them more appealing, with a fresh coat of paint, new carpeting, artwork and motivational signs, and piped-in music.

 Sprint planned its 200-acre headquarters to encourage fitness by banning cars, forcing employees to park in garages some distance from the offices, putting in slow elevators and wide, windowed staircases to encourage people to walk rather than ride between floors.

 Highmark Inc., a 12,000 employee health-insurance company in Pittsburgh, offers group, personal and online weight-management programs; nutritional counseling; lo-fat meals and snacks in its cafeterias and vending machines; discounts on nutritional products and services; and an employee fitness center.

 Sparkle-People, an online coaching company in Cincinnati with 25 employees, offers access to a personal trainer and fitness center, stocks the cafe with healthy foods, and has a garden in the back of the building that produces vegetables for employee's use.

What Employers Can Do About It

Despite the benefits of weight-loss programs at work many companies have avoided them.

They feel that they want to avoid identifying individuals who are obese because there's a perceived stigma and they have a fear of being discriminatory.

The solution to that problem is to offer voluntary programs and incentives for those who are motivated to take part, but make sure there are no "disincentives" in place for those who are overweight.

 Make on-site programs, like Weight Watchers, available at work.

 Sponsoring or subsidizing health club memberships.

 Work with group health vendors to develop more programs to target obese populations.

 Implement a healthy eating campaign, which should include healthy options in cafeterias and vending machines.

 Encourage employees to walk outside during their lunch hour or stroll by their colleagues' offices rather than remaining at their desks and sending e-mail.

 Talk with health plan providers about the availability of employee educations materials and disease management programs.

 Provide employee assistance programs for private counseling or community-based weight management programs.

 Offer incentives, such as a discount on health care premiums.

Risks And Rewards Of Employer Actions

- Risks Of Taking Action
- Rewards For Taking Action

The main problems are the perception of discrimination and the possibility of legal action. However, the rewards often far outweigh the risks, as you will see at the conclusion of this article.

     - Risks Of Taking Action

1. Perception by employees that an employer is discriminating against overweight people.

Many employers fear appearing discriminatory and may be fearful in identifying individuals who are obese because they don't want to be thought of as discriminating against them.

A study by Employment Law Alliance in November of 2003 showed that nearly half of American workers believe that overweight employees are discriminated against in the workplace.

In the survey of 603 American employees, 47 percent believed that obese workers suffer discrimination in the workplace. Based on the results of polls and surveys like these, some lawyers are predicting an increase in the efforts by employees to have discrimination claims legally recognized on a broader scale because of the "perceptions" of discrimination.

Though the voluntary health improvement programs we refer to in this article can do a lot to help the problem of obesity, there is a component of obesity that can be linked to hereditary factors. Researchers believe that in most cases obesity represents a complex relationship between genetic, psychological, physiological, metabolic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and cultural factors.

Considering all of these factors there is a concern that companies attempting to tackle this problem may become embroiled in discrimination issues, whether real or perceived.

2. Actual anti-weight-discrimination laws.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that everyone in the United States has a right to employment free from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Section 7 has been used in weight discrimination cases where weight standards are applied differently to different protected classes (e.g. women and men), and where weight standards have an adverse impact on a protected class.

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination against an otherwise qualified individual with handicaps, solely on the basis of that handicap, in any program which receives federal assistance.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) extends the protection against discrimination on the basis of disability to the private sector.

State of Michigan: Elliot Larsen Civil Rights Act, Act 453 of 1976, Sec. 209, bans discrimination in employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, age sex, height, weight, or marital status. (Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. § 37.2102, 1985 & Supp. 1993).

3. Lack of participation in the programs.

Though not actually a "risk", one of the biggest challenges facing companies is getting workers to take advantage of fitness programs and other efforts at reducing obesity.

Two-thirds of companies surveyed by the National Business Group on Health reported that fewer than 25 percent of their workers participated in their fitness programs. Three out of ten reported that 25 and 50 percent of workers participate and 2 percent said that more than half of their work force participated.

So some companies worry that hardly anyone will participate and that it might not be worth the effort or "risk".

     - Rewards For Taking Action

1. Improvement of the health and productivity of employees.

Employees who are overweight and loose weight usually feel better and work better. Participating employees quality of life is improved and the quality of their work can improve as well. A healthier employee is usually a happier employee.

2. Increase in morale of employees.

In the recent poll by the National Business Group on Health more than half (56 percent) of the companies reported increased morale among their work force as a result of their fitness programs and initiatives.

3. Savings in health care costs.

In the same poll mentioned above more than one out of four (27 percent) said their fitness initiatives resulted in savings in their health care costs. We listed the long list of health risks associated with obesity earlier in this article - successful programs will obviously reduce those risks and result in lower claims on health care costs.

4. Providing a better workplace and work-life balance for employees.

Just as there is a perception that these programs may be discriminatory, the reverse side of this is that these programs demonstrate concern by the employer for the welfare of the employees. The job site is a major part of most people's day, and it can be one of the prime areas where they can increase their health and fitness. Companies that facilitate and promote fitness can benefit from the knowledge that they are providing a better life for their employees, and that the employees will appreciate this in return.

Obesity in the workplace will be getting more recognition and concern each day that goes by. It is a part of a growing national trend, one that is growing at an alarming rate.

The cost of obesity in the workplace is in the billions of dollars every year, and in the ill health of millions of employees.

Companies who grapple with this problem and take a pro-active stance towards it will be ahead of the curve. They will most likely save money and provide a better workplace for their employees, creating a true "win-win" situation.