Healthcare or Big Brother
Microsoft has a special healthcare option to deal with overweight employees. Their employees have the option to have the company pay for a year's worth of fitness club memberships and nutritionist meetings. This has led employees to lose a lot of weight and become healthier.
With all these expenses coming from all these employees, what is the upside for the company? Healthcare costs are down, absenteeism is down, and production is up. Employees are feeling healthier, leading them to work more and do their jobs better. This is part of the benefit package that employees can choose to participate in. Having a benefit plan is something positive within a company. It makes workers happier.
Although some may see this as getting too involved in employee's personal lives, I think this idea is both profitable and helps create healthier people. Where is the downside?
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