How overweight employees can cost your business money

In the hustle and bustle of busy Americans, the idea of eating fast food is becoming a popular epidemic.We have done just about everything we can to make things "conveniently easy" for us.Remote controls, drive up windows, and how many times have you driven around a parking lot just to find a closer spot?Americans no doubt have become lazy and their poor eating habits and lifestyles are evident from the way we look.But obesity doesn't play a part in the business world does it?You might be surprised at how overweight employees can cost your business money.

Obesity Costs
There are three major areas of concern for businesses when if comes to losing money and overweight employees.The first is worker's compensation, and the second is absent employees, and the third is health care.

1. Worker's compensation
According to a study done on overweight employees, it states that overweight employees file twice the number of worker's compensation claims as people who are not overweight.Anyone that owns a business will tell you that worker's compensation doesn't come cheap, especially if it is being overused.As claims increase so does the amount you owe.

2. Absent Employees
Overweight employees are absent more often due to injury. Medical claims for injuries do to obesity are seven times more than those of healthy trim employees. These injuries can range from back and hip replacement problems, knee and ankle problems, to shoulders, wrists and arms.It has also been found that overweight employees are absent 10 more days compared to the average employee due to injury.Any business employer can see the implications of missed days.Absentees mean finding someone to replace that employee and valuable time and training involvement.

3. Health Care Costs
According to recent research, sixty percent of company CEO's state health care costs and loss of productivity as their number one concern.Overweight employees can cost an employer anywhere between $50 and $2000 dollars annually in health care costs and productivity.Seventy percent of health care costs come from tobacco use, poor nutrition and lack of exercise.We can decrease our health care costs by promoting healthy living.

Benefits of Exercise
As an employer you can play an important role in helping overweight employees become healthy active people.As it is against the law to discriminate against overweight employees help solve the problem by helping them understand the benefits of exercise.Americans have become to use to be lazy.We can drive up to a window to get food; we can drive up to a window to get money from the bank; everything is practically automated because we are lazy and the industry knows we'll use it.We are in fact promoting obesity and it needs to stop.Business employers will have to go to great lengths to promote a healthy lifestyle.Encourage employees to walk instead of using the elevator, drink water instead of soda, and offer classes on how a healthy lifestyle is better for you.Help overweight employees understand how to achieve healthy goals like low blood pressure, low cholesterol and a healthy weight.In order to decrease health care costs, produce more, and use less of your money this is critical.

You have seen how overweight employees can cost your business money; we now need to find a way to help.Get everyone involved and make a change so all your employees will help you make money, not take it away.