Office fitness access to target worker turnout, health and productivity

With Australia caught in an obesity crisis, fitness bodies are increasingly urging employers to take a role in employee health.

Natalie Cittadino exercising during her working day. Picture: John Feder

More companies are using the promise of gym facilities to entice employees back into offices, with fitness bodies praising the recorded windfalls in health outcomes and worker productivity.

The move provides workers with access to facilities they can access near their workplace, usually for a subsidised cost, while raising their own health and contributing to businesses within office districts.

Brisbane-based Technology­One’s chief executive, Ed Chung, enjoyed a rise in employee returns to the office after the Covid pandemic following its fitness push.

TechnologyOne chief executive Ed Chung. Subsidised fitness access was linked to improved productivity, office turnout and overall health. Picture: Mark Cranitch

“We wanted our people back in the office, but we didn’t want to use a stick. We asked what were the carrots to get people back into the office,” he said.

The company invested in a $1m “health lab” gym facility at its main Brisbane office, and subsidised the cost of on-site gyms at smaller ­facilities. The company saw 60 to 70 per cent of staff accessing the amenities.

“If you’re not competing and offering the right incentives (and) fringe benefits for existing staff and potential new staff, then you’re just going to be beaten by the company next door,” Mr Chung said.

The fitness body AUSactive has urged the Albanese government to consider a fringe benefit tax exemption for fitness offerings to further incentivise the behaviour.

Generally employers are liable for the tax on fringe benefits. By ­offering an exemption, employers would be more likely to hand it down to their employees, and it could be more easily negotiated onto enterprise agreements.

AUSactive chief executive Barry Elvish lobbied for the federal government to make gym memberships tax deductible.

AUSactive gave their proposal in a budget submission to the Treasury and met with MPs in Canberra to spruik the alteration. AUSactive CEO Barry Elvish said the group was also pushing for a tax deductibility on gym memberships for all Australians.

“These changes need no budget allocation but will support employers to promote physical ­activity to improve people’s wellbeing, and will incentivise individuals to invest in their health by taking up exercise,” he said.

“The whole health system in Australia is geared to dealing with people once they get sick, rather than preventing them from getting sick in the first place. There has to be a complete reset on how we deal with health.”

Business manager Natalie ­Cittadino, 33, of North Sydney, had not been able to find time for regular exercise since the birth of her toddler, but jumped on the opportunity to use a gym at her work.

“I’m able to pop out at lunchtime, have a quick little workout, come back, and continue my day,’ she said. “I feel like I’m not losing any personal time. I feel like I’m gaining more me time.”

“I’m less stressed because I’m having that time to get out of the office, have a breather from work, but then also just work on myself, which I won’t necessarily have that time at the weekend to do.”

She added that it took one more expense out of her budget, and was good for bonding with colleagues.