|
 |
|
|
SHAPING
UP ON THE JOB
COMPANIES ENCOURAGE EMPLOYEES TO GET FIT AT WORK
By Laurie Burstein
Squeezing in a workout during a long and hectic workday can be next
to impossible.
But what if there were a gym with everything from cardio equipment
and yoga classes to personal trainers and showers at little or no
extra cost conveniently located at work? Lucky workers at companies
like Monsanto, Boeing and Tyco Healthcare/Mallinckrodt can fit in
their workouts before, during or after work at their respective
companies’ onsite fitness facilities.
The Boeing Fitness Center provides for the health
and well-being of Boeing employees. |
|
More than 1,200 employees at Monsanto take advantage of the company’s
onsite fitness facility. The Monsanto Fitness Center opened in 1998
and costs nothing for Monsanto employees to use the facility. The
Center is approximately 10,000 square feet and includes two aerobic
rooms, a weight room, exercise area and locker rooms. Equipment
includes treadmills, bikes, elliptical machines, stairmasters, a
Nordic Trac, rowers, Life Fitness circuit strength machines and
various free weights. Free classes include yoga, pilates, martial
arts, stretching and others.
|
More than 1,200 employees at Monsanto take advantage
of the company’s onsite fitness facility. |
|
Monsanto provides amenities in the locker room including deodorant,
hair dryers, towels, body wash and shampoo. The main exercise floor
has four televisions that also carry local radio stations for employees
who bring headphones to tune in during a workout. About 180 members
use the center on a daily basis.
The Boeing Fitness Center boasts many of the same amenities as Monsanto’s
Center and also offers nutritional counseling, personal training,
a monthly newsletter and health seminars. It first opened in the
early 1980s and was renovated in 1997. The cost is $16 per month
for employees, and family members and retirees are eligible to use
the facility at the same cost. The Center is open 24 hours a day
and is staffed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. by an outside firm hired by
Boeing called Corporate Fitness Midwest.
Company-owned fitness facilities rival some of the top privately
owned health clubs in St. Louis where memberships can cost in the
thousands. It’s a major investment for a company, but for some of
the area’s top corporations it makes good business sense to invest
in its worker’s fitness and health.
“Our people are the company’s most valuable asset, and we realize
that today’s work environment is a very demanding place,” says Jay
Grabel, director of Business Services and Real Estate for Monsanto.
“An on site, first- class fitness facility enables employees to
conveniently invest in their personal health and wellness, while
coping with busy work and home life schedules,” Grabel adds.
June Fowler, senior director of Corporate Communications & Community
Affairs at Mallinckrodt agrees it’s a worthy investment. “As a healthcare
company, we believe providing a healthy environment for our employ-
ees is a priority. Our on site fitness center encourages employees
to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyle activities.” Fowler adds
that the initial investment was around $500,000 when it opened in
1993 and the company subsidizes the annual cost of operations.
The Fitness and Wellness Center at Mallinckrodt costs employees
just $5 per month and is taken through payroll deduction. The Center
has 260 employee members today.
“Employees like this perk, because it allows them the convenience
of working out before, during or after work without making another
stop at a gym or health club. Workouts can fit into the work day
very easily,” says Ginger Claflin, senior administrator for Health
Services at Mallinckrodt.
Boeing also recognizes that improving employee fitness and health
can boost job performance and morale. Pam Spicknall, manager of
Health Services for Boeing says, “Having an easily accessible fitness
center fits in with our vision to provide for the health and well-being
of our employees. The feedback we get is that employees really appreciate
having an onsite fitness center and use it on a regular basis.”
Laurie Burstein is a St. Louis-based free-lance writer.
|
|
|
|
|
-
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- -
-
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- -
-
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- -
-
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- -
|
