When it Comes to Health and Wellness, Avoid a "Class System," Warns Steve Miranda, Managing Director of CAHRS

The September issue of the HR Magazine (a SHRM publication) features the article “Get Moving: Give Employees Tools to be Active, Even During the Workday.” A June Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) survey of 550 HR professionals found that 20 percent of organizations offer on-site fitness classes, up from 16 percent in 2011.

The wellness movement has benefitted employees at many companies, who credit weight loss, camaraderie and teamwork as some of the successes that can come from organizing employer weight loss competitions. However, Steve Miranda, Managing Director of CAHRS, suggests avoiding "almost a class system of the fit and the unfit." Ultimately, wellness programs should focus on how they benefit the individual, not the company, adds Miranda.