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Waistlines as a workplace issue

June 23, 2008 on 12:23 pm | In etiquette/habits, workplace issues | No Comments

Employers are paying a hefty share of the health-case costs associated with obesity in the United States.

As I mentioned in the post below, being overweight could become a job-threatening issue in some cases, as obese employees tend to miss more work and drive health insurance costs higher, according to this article in the New York Times.

Very few employers, however, penalize workers for weight gain; but more and more are providing incentives for weight loss, smoking cessation, and other health improvements. Solutions based on rewards are more likely to work and to improve employee morale.

I’m thankful U.S. employers aren’t going as far as those in Japan, where workers over 40 have to regularly meet waistline requirements (33.5″ for men, 35.5″ for women)!