Editorial

Citation

(2005), "Editorial", Facilities, Vol. 23 No. 9/10. https://doi.org/10.1108/f.2005.06923iaa.001

Editorial

The emergence of the workplace gym is a “cunning corporate plan” says Cathryn Jones, reporting in the UK’s Guardian Newspaper (22 November, 2004). She observes that they (gyms) “may be paraded – as our employers’ attempt to keep us hale and hearty – but the reality is altogether more sinister”. She quotes Daniel Herman of Bio-Synergy, a company that provides sports nutrition to gyms, who states. “Put simply, workplace gyms keep people on site. It stops them using their local gym in their lunch hour, for example, and therefore stops them taking longer lunches. Corporations can also see the value of keeping staff healthy. Big organisations like Tesco use workplace gyms because ultimately the fitter their staff are, the less likely they are to take sick leave. It saves money in the long run”.

The Guardian’s article goes on to explain the dangers of getting sweaty and having to return after lunch to the workplace with a vivid glow. It warns, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, about the potential threat to your career of being seen in a dishevelled state by your boss. Well this inevitably is a consequence of the 24-7 workplace environments that we are now creating. Employers see the benefit of keeping staff in the office even if it entails the creation of a mini-village. However, it does mean that occupants may end up being observed by their peers and bosses in a more familiar light!