“We need to talk about your weight” is not a conversation that anybody wants to have with an employee – but it is one you are now obliged to have by law.
With a hefty 28% of Australians classified as obese (and a further 36% classified as overweight), obesity is now one of the biggest issues that employers face.
From the point of view of the latest health and safety legislation alone you have two different legal duties:
How tackling the topic of employee weight could be a boost to your bottom line and have a positive impact for your workforce
And it’s not just about the legal obligation. While many people think that tackling the obesity issue is little more than a waste of time and money and a legal tick-box exercise, a few smart employers are waking up to the positive potential of having a fitter, happier workforce.
Consider, for example, the following few facts for a minute:
Now, if we assume that your own workforce conforms to average figures for Australians and nearly 28% of your workforce are obese (and a further 36% overweight)…
What does that mean in terms of higher health and safety risk, financial loss to sick leave, compensation pay outs and reduced overall productivity for your business?
Or let’s look at it in a different way: What difference could it make to your business if everybody was 20 pounds lighter, fitter and healthier and came to work with a spring in their step instead of dragging themselves around the workplace?
But is there really anything an employer can do about the problem?
If you’d like to learn about your legal obligations and the effective measures you can take to successfully tackle this growing workplace problem, The H.R. People can help. They have read the Obesity Report and can assist you to implement the necessary requirements for your business. Contact Karen Vercoe from The H.R. People to discuss.
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