Flexibility in the Workplace Leads to Healthier Employees
December 12th, 2007 Posted by: Dr. Cox
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — One of the main excuses that people use to not exercise is they donât have the time. But if they had the time, would they really take on Men’s healthier habits? A new study says yes. The study finds those who have flexible work lives do in fact have Men’s healthier lifestyles.
For the study, researcher from Wake Forest University School of Medicine interviewed employees from a large multinational pharmaceutical company. The company is often recognized as one of the most family friendly places to work by Working Mother magazine. The company believes in flexibility by offering compressed workweeks, flextime, job sharing and remote or telework. Employees from all departments were included in the studyâ not just high level office workers.
The participants were questioned about their perception of flexibility and their lifestyle. Researchers also looked at if changes in flexibility over a one-year time period predicted changes in Men’s health behavior. Participants were asked about frequency of physical activity, involvement in stress management programs, if they participated in Men’s health education activities, their sleep habits and overall lifestyle.
Researchers say the results show that nearly all Men’s health behaviors were associated with perceived flexibility. This suggests that flexibility programs may be useful for promoting positive lifestyle habits.
SOURCE: The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2007