DNA
18 April 2007
New Delhi.
NEW DELHI: Healthcare benefits, work-life balance and perks are increasingly becoming important to companies in India which want to keep employees happy and attract new talent, says a report prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
With office work getting sedentary, the global workforce is increasingly becoming obese, sicker and less productive due to chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
The Indian companies are developing comprehensive wellness programmes for their employees. The programmes are being developed in recognition of the fact that employees need to be mentally resilient to cope with work-related stress.
In its report, Working Towards Wellness: An Indian Perspective, PwC has identified chronic diseases among workers as a growing and costly threat to companies as a result of which approximately two per cent of capital spent on workforce is lost to disability, absenteeism and presenteeism (diminished productivity from ill employees who go to work but work below par). These indirect costs are more than the additional direct medical claim costs that some employers incur.
Among the main causes for chronic diseases are unhealthy diet and excessive energy intake, physical inactivity and tobacco use which lead to raised blood pressure, cholesterol levels and obesity. These risks are especially significant in the Indian scenario since it is the world’s second largest consumer of tobacco.
on line available at - http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1091534
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