The Implementation of a Well-Fit-Program at SporLectro Hannover

Table of Contents

1 Executive Summary

2 Situational Background

3 Problem Statement

4 Recommendation

5 Objectives Statement

6 Action Plan

7 Resources

8 Budgets

9 Consequences of Recommendation

10 Follow-Up and Monitoring

Appendix

1 Executive Summary

The human being represents an unique production factor. Just it is able to combine single elements in a system and fill it with creative impulses. In times of high demands of rationalization the progress in technical methods places extremely needs of standards on the human being. Qualities like responsibility, creativity, personal initiative, adaptability or flexibility appreciate values. The increasing complex processes demand more and more a common mindset. Teamwork is a premise for successful working. In the portrayed competitive situation the human being is the only remained resource to make work even more productive. It is the assignment of the management to activate the human reserves. In contrast to the factual production goods the human has needs and desires which have to be accommodated to motivate the human to exploit its full potentials for the company’s benefits.

For quite some time the employees of SporLectro were not realizing their full potentials. Their physical and mental well-being suffers for the expenses of the company. Hence, the purpose of this proposal is to improve the employees’ health status with the consequence to make their work performance more profitable for SporLectro. This is achieved by implementing a Well-Fit-Program at SporLectro Hannover. The program counts on a combination of sportive activities, nutritional awareness and stress relaxation.

The project in the scope of health management will be enabled to reduce the incidence of disease by at least 78 % one year after the implementation. This fact allows saving amounts up to €1,593,817,50 per year. Furthermore the labour turnover rate will decrease to 50 % and the number of applicants will increase by at least 40 %. Thus SporLectro can use the valuable human capital to improve the productivity and to promote the company. The program will make the employees more satisfied, so the basis for maximum labour productivity can be established. It is mentionable that the Corporate Identity can be strengthened. A company which offers sport- and health-oriented products should also represent the according philosophy within the company.

The implementation of the Well-Fit-Program will only cost €52,039.00. The running costs per year are €50,184.10. Summarized one year after the end of the project SporLectro will have invested €102,223.10. This means that the cost saving SporLectro has one year after the implementation is 15 times higher than the costs of the project plus the running costs in the first year.

The whole company will benefit from the changes owing to the Well-Fit-Program. On the one hand the employer SporLectro can invest the saved money in profit making capital expenditures and on the other hand the employees of the company can aim a high level of physical and mental health protection, well-being, as well as social cohesion. Moreover one should not forget that the heightened customer satisfaction which results from customer-oriented employees will help SporLectro staying competitive.

2 Situational Background

SporLectro is a manufacturer of heart rate monitors. Since combining expertise in sports with precision engineering and innovative design, the company has been leading the way since 1971. SporLectro today offers a large product range which covers several levels of sports. The products are supposed to support the healthy lifestyle of the customers and to optimize the effect of the training.

With 6,400 employees in 28 countries, SporLectro is headquartered in Hannover, Germany. The company employs 1,050 people according to the following structur:

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Headcount (2009)

The daily time of work of both, employees in production and employees in office, is eight hours. In addition all members of the staff have 15 minutes morning break and 30 minutes lunch break. Because of a flexitime system, the employees can split their hours of work themselves. SporLectro wants success-oriented work from the employees, in order to avoid malpractice of the flexitime-system. Moreover the company focuses on intensive customer orientation on the part of the staff. Likewise, the importance of teamwork increases with the growing competitive conditions.

SporLectro in Hannover employs a company medical officer in the company. The doctor is well grounded in general medicine as well as sports medicine.

In addition the company has a staff cafeteria which offers every day a variety of vegetarian and non vegetarian meals. The company had a further cafeteria directly next to the medical area which was closed down in the end of 2008, because it was not used by the employees. The factory of SporLectro in Hannover is predominantly surrounded by nature. A forest and a river are less than one kilometre away. Furthermore a sports ground is located within reach.

3 Problem Statement

The following set of problems can be observed in SporLectro. On the one hand the employees are not in a good state of health and on the other hand the employees are neither satisfied nor loyal to their company.

The figure below shows the most frequent afflictions in the personnel of SporLectro.

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It becomes obviously that the employees of SporLectro suffer from a weak immune system, as well as from chronic diseases. For example, the backaches are often a symptom of the so-called RSI-syndrome (Repetitive Strain Injury). This syndrome means hardenings in the back, neck and arm musculature. In the most cases the aggrieved parties are employed in the office. The RSI-syndrome causes also mental stress which interferes with the productivity of the employees.^[1] Hence, almost the half of the women and more than 30 % of the men can not give their full potential.

The cardiovascular diseases of the employees appear often in form of circulatory disorder of the myocardial muscle with the consequence of a heart attack. More than 30 % of the female employees and more than the half of the male employees suffer from such cardiovascular diseases. Thus in 2008 the rate of heart attack in SporLectro was 7.5 %.

More than half of female and male employees suffer from metabolic diseases. A lot of these employees have type II diabetes mellitus in relation with overweight. This means that also the appearance is seriously affected. A survey in 2009 proved that 65 % of the SporLectro employees are unsettled by their appearance in professional life.

Mainly the women are disposed to mental pressure. 65 % of the women are stressed out. However 40 % of the men handle with such a psychological stress. Likewise, 60 % of the females and 50 % of the men suffer from a weak immune system; that is why they have frequently general infections.

The demonstrated afflictions are all typical aftereffects of lack of physical exercise, unhealthy eating habits, and lack of catharsis.^[2] In the already mentioned survey, it becomes apparent that just 20 % of the employees take regular exercise and only 30 % pay attention to a healthy nutrition. It is also important that 80 % of the employees think that they are overstressed.

A consequence of the bad state of health is that the rate of absenteeism is very high. Last year an employee had 15 absent days due to illness on average. The resultant costs for the company amount to € 2,173,387.50 per year.

[...]

^[1] Compare Scheller-Bötschi, E. (2007): Welche Indikatoren beeinflussen die Leistungsfähigkeit von Mitarbeitern in Betrieben, p. 35.

^[2] Compare unpublished document, (2008): Bewegungsmangel, URL: www.novafeel.de.