memo

MEMORANDUM

To: Chris N. Charge

From: Rob H. Student

Subject: Improving the Overall Health of our Employees

Date: October 15, 2015

The health of our 2,800 office employees is not only important to their overall well-being, but to the success of our company as well. Like many Americans, our employees have poor health and live unhealthy lifestyles. Our company has been affected by an increase in absenteeism and health care costs, as well as lower overall job performance and productivity. This has resulted in lower profitability for the company and our shareholders.

In response to improving the health of our employees, I have come up with three different ideas on how to make our employees healthier:

! Establishing an Employee Health and Wellness Center

! Constructing an Onsite Company Gym

! Implementing a Health Conscious Corporate Culture

Establishing an Employee Health and Wellness Center

Creating a health and wellness center for our employees will provide them with valuable resources and information to promote healthy lifestyles. This will give the employees an opportunity to improve and gain control of their overall health. Features of our health and wellness center will include:

! Stress Management. A licensed psychologist will be onsite to help employees develop coping strategies to manage their stress and anxiety levels.

! Health Screenings. Employees will receive routine screenings to measure their weight, glucose, cholesterol, body fat, and blood pressure levels. Early detection of potential medical issues is a key factor in preventing illness. Annual flu shots will also be given to employees, which will reduce absenteeism during the flu season.

! Nutrition Counseling. A registered dietician will help promote healthy eating and will counsel employees on how to read food labels, prepare healthy meals and snacks, and prevent and control diseases with specific foods.

! Wellness Library. Books, pamphlets, and other reference materials will be available to employees on a variety of health-related topics as knowledge is a powerful tool in helping to lead a healthy lifestyle.

! Lectures. Guest speakers will educate employees on topics such as weight management, diabetes, benefits of exercising, heart health, and smoking cessation.

Constructing an Onsite Company Gym

Physical fitness is one of the most important aspects of living a healthy lifestyle. Exercising increases energy levels and reduces stress, which leads to increased job performance and productivity. An onsite gym will be a great addition to our company as it provides easy access and convenience for our busy employees to exercise. This will allow them to use their time more productively. Features of our onsite company gym will include:

! State of the Art Fitness Equipment. The gym will have the latest treadmills, elliptical cross trainers, steppers, rowers, and exercise bikes to ensure that our employees are getting the most out of their workouts.

! Personal Trainers. Certified personal trainers will be onsite to help employees develop exercise programs and achieve their fitness goals.

! Fitness Classes. Pilates, yoga, tai chi, aerobics, kickboxing, dance, and other fitness classes will be available for employees to participate in. This will accommodate our employees’ varied interests and fitness levels.

! Extended Hours. The gym will be open from 5:00 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. to accommodate the busy schedules of our employees.

! Refreshment Bar. Gatorade, water, protein shakes, fruit and vegetable drinks, and other healthy beverages will be available for employees.

Implementing a Health Conscious Corporate Culture

Management needs to lead by example. Managers at all levels must not only support a health conscious corporate culture, but be active participants as well. Everyone in the company needs to commit to improving their overall health. A health conscious corporate culture will promote a healthy lifestyle to all of our employees. We have a huge investment in our employees who are the lifeblood of our company. We need to protect our investment. Features of our health conscious corporate culture will include:

! Healthy Food Options. The cafeteria and vending machines will have more nutritious food choices including the addition of a salad bar. Employees will choose healthier food options if more are made available.

! Smoking. Smoking will be prohibited in all areas of the corporate campus.

! Corporate Sponsorships. The company will support our employees and the local community by helping to sponsor the Bay to Breakers marathon and other events that promote physical fitness. Special corporate t-shirts will be designed and worn by all employees who choose to participate, showing our corporate commitment to fitness.

! Company Sports Teams. Basketball, volleyball, and baseball teams will be formed so that employees can exercise and participate in some of their favorite sports. This promotes physical fitness, team building, and strengthening of relationships among employees.

! Incentives. Encouraging employees to stay healthy by reducing their share of health care premiums if the company’s overall health care costs decline.

By implementing my ideas, we can improve the overall health of our employees. The profitability of the company will increase by over 8%, and we will have happier, healthier, and more productive employees. Please let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to hearing from you soon to discuss my proposed ideas.