By Nicole Howe
They may offer you more money, or a better parking spot, but the newest trend in company perks benefits everyone.
More Ottawa companies are offering gym memberships to their employees in an attempt to encourage workers to remain healthy and to offer a competitive benefits package to attract qualified and talented staff.
Scott Bowman, customer service manager of Good Life Fitness Club in the Rideau Centre, says in the last couple of months he’s seen around 50 new gym members who have had their memberships provided by their employers. “We’ve always had a couple of companies offering memberships but in the last three or four months I’ve definitely seen a ramping up of this trend,” says Bowman.
Research has shown that healthy employees are happy employees, but it’s only recently employers have taken a role in promoting physical fitness.
Francis Moran, a managing partner of InMedia Public Relations located in Centretown, just offered his nine employees subsidized gym memberships in January. He says providing gym memberships to his employees is an easy thing to do and it’s advantageous to everyone.
“One of the key benefits is having healthier and more productive employees,” says Moran.
Moran also pointed out this was only a small step his company could take to distinguish it as a ‘magnet employer’.
“There is a lot of competition for good talent in this business,” says Moran, which is why he is trying to create a comprehensive package of more than just salary and the usual benefits.
While InMedia pays for half of its employee’s gym memberships, there are other companies that will allow a yearly allotment of money for their employees to spend on athletic equipment or programs, while larger companies like Nortel actually offer gymnasiums on site.
Terry McKinty, director of Physical and Health Education Canada, a non-profit advocacy organization concerned with promoting active living, says companies paying for, or subsidizing gym memberships, is a commendable trend.
“In a typical day people don’t do much physical activity. They get in their car and drive to work, maybe stop at a Tim Hortons…so people must get in the habit of going out of their way to exercise.”
Statistics from the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute, a research agency concerned with informing Canadians about the importance of healthy lifestyles, show that over 60 per cent of Canadians are not active enough
McKinty says having your employer recognize the importance of fitness and actually promoting it is a trend that should continue.