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Bosses 'should tackle obese workers'

Published On 26 April 2007 at 11:35:19

Bosses of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who do not act to help their staff lose weight could face more compensation claims in the future, a new report suggests.

According to findings from researchers at Duke University Medical Center, obese workers file twice as many compensation claims as their thinner colleagues.

Similarly, severely overweight workers are more likely to incur higher medical costs for their company and lose more work days off sick.

"We all know obesity is bad for the individual, but it isn't solely a personal medical problem - it spills over into the workplace and has concrete economic costs," explained Truls Ostbye, a professor of community and family medicine.

"Given the strong link between obesity and workers' compensation costs, maintaining healthy weight is not only important to workers but should also be a high priority for employers.

"Work-based programs designed to target healthful eating and physical activity should be developed and then evaluated as part of a strategy to make all workplaces healthier and safer."

Figures from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) indicate that 175 million working days were lost due to sick days last year - at a cost of £13.4 billion.

 

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