Action stations: office fitness initiatives take root in Hong Kong
The Western trend of encouraging corporate employees take better care of themselves is taking root in Hong Kong
Since last year, staff at Eaton Corporation have been given a choice of two company sponsored health insurance packages: one worth HK$10,000 a year, or another worth HK$5,000 plus HK$5,000 in credits for gym memberships or travel.
For Eaton, an international company that specialises in power management solutions, it's a worthwhile investment to encourage its 100 employees in Hong Kong to lead a healthy lifestyle.
From the health data we found that the staff from the Asia-Pacific region suffer a lot of stress
The initiative goes a step further than ordinary corporate wellness programmes, which usually involve discounted health checks, provision of gym facilities or exercise campaigns. Eaton is among a rising number of companies that are launching such incentive programmes to encourage staff to pursue a healthy lifestyle.
"Staff can choose either the downscale or upscale option for which they have to pay some money out of their own pockets, on top of the HK$10,000 paid by the company, for extra protection," says Agnes Tse Oi-man, vice-president of human resources for Eaton's Asia-Pacific region office.
"For those who are fit and expect to make few doctor visits, they can get the downscale option and enjoy the credits."
