More than half (54%) of managers in small to medium-sized companies (SMEs) believe that obese employees are more likely to take sick leave. A further 76% of managers have no plans to provide support or advice for staff concerned about their weight, according to a survey by Nuffield Proactive Health called Obesity issues in the workplace.
Over a third (36%) of managers do not feel that the weight of employees is of concern to their organisation.
Only 4% of the SMEs surveyed have measures in place to help staff manage their weight, while 51% do not have any measures at all.
Of the 497 managers surveyed, 63% feel that they have a duty to speak with very overweight staff if they feel that their condition affects productivity, but 87% are afraid to cause offence or contravene legislation.
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| SME's approach to obesity |
SME managers who are afraid to speak with employees about obesity because they may cause offence87%
Managers in SMEs who have no plans to provide support or advice to employees concerned about their weight76%
SME managers who think obesity is a serious issue in the workplace64%†
SME managers who think obese staff are more likely to take sick leave54%
SMEs that have measures in place to help staff manage weight issues4%
Source: Nuffield Proactive Health†
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