An analysis of employer-driven sports and fitness initiatives

Abstract

Need for the proposed study * Increasing interest on the part of employers to understand the impact of sports and fitness initiatives on employee productivity. * Increasing involvement of employers in the physical and mental health of employees. * A need to understand what model of engagement works best in different scenarios. * Growth of corporate partnerships in health and fitness based startups (For instance, Curefit, Healthifyme, Zoojoo.be) Objectives:- To analytically reach an answer to the following questions a) What is the impact of sports and fitness initiatives on employees’ physical and mental health, including an understanding of impact on productivity and span of attention? b) On what kind of employee roles and age groups do sports and fitness initiatives have the maximum impact c) Are there any methods to objectively compare the costs and benefits of employer driven sports and fitness initiatives? If yes, can they be made more comprehensive? If no, can they be developed? What are the major roadblocks to achieving this? d) How are sports and fitness initiatives currently taken up by employers? (Do they build their own sports arenas? Do they pay monetary compensation for gym memberships? Do they organize runs and marathons?) What kind of engagement is suitable for what kind of organization? e) What is the employee’s point of view with respect to such employer initiatives? What about employees who have little interest in sports or physical activity? Is there an incentive for the employer to go ahead and give them a nudge?