Keeping employees well

Written by Sean Fewster and Jordanna Schriever

Tuesday, 14 August 2007

South Australian businesses are following a world-wide trend in improving employee health and reducing the time taken off as sick leave.

Swedish retailer IKEA has begun a "wellness" program offering massage, fruit and medical assessments to its workers free of cost.

Bank SA offers discounted gym memberships, $10 massages, free flu shots and subsidises staff sports teams' costs while Adelaide Airport Limited offers discounted gym memberships, free fruit platters, supports workers entering charity walks and reimburses flu-injection payments.

Law firm Thomson Playford offers a range of services including pilates, yoga, discounted medical assessments, massages and access to corporate gym rates.

Australian Institute of Management SA chief executive John Stokes said wellness programs were fast being adopted by businesses.

Wellness had also spawned a side industry, including an online program available to those who work for smaller businesses.

"With the skills and labour shortages, employers are now coming up with various ways to attract new workers and retain existing ones," Mr Stokes said.

"Wellness programs are part of the smorgasboard of activities that organisations need to engage in to keep good staff."

At IKEA, management says it's happy with the results while employees are pleased with the hands-on approach to ailments.

"We organised for on-site massage to be available for co-workers so they could take some time out of their busy day and enjoy a little luxury," IKEA human resources co-ordinator Elle Winter said.

Adelaide Airport general manager of corporate communications John McArdle said offering free fruit platters and reimbursing employees for flu shots and gym memberships had helped improve morale at the workplace.

"It's part of our vision and mission statement which is about assisting the employee in their health and wellbeing," he said.

"What we as a company get out of that is happy and content staff and less sick days are taken."

Bank SA managing director Rob Chapman said staff physical wellbeing and happiness was part of the company's core strategy.

"Offering these types of benefits is a crucial part of fostering a positive workplace culture and assisting staff to have a good work/life balance," Mr Chapman said.

At IKEA, workers have attended seminars, been provided with free fruit and healthy meal options and free flu shots.

Employees receive "healthy heart checks" and advice on what to do if they are at risk of heart disease.

They also compete, in teams of four, to record the most steps taken in eight weeks - their success judged by pedometers.