Obesity is classed as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more and is an increasing issue for employers worldwide, especially for many developed nations; recent studies Obesity and Work | Institute for Employment Studies (IES) suggest the issue is now a global concern and one of the top three worldwide social burdens (after smoking and armed violence). Obesity is responsible for 5% of global deaths and accounts for up to 20% of healthcare costs in developed countries.
Currently almost 70% of men and just over 60% of women in the UK are classed as overweight or obese, with severe obesity increasing significantly since the early 1990’s and increasing numbers of younger people being reported as being overweight or obese. It is recognised that within the workplace there is a correlation between an individual’s weight and the average number of days sickness absence in any given year for an individual (see below):
Normal weight individual - 6 days per year
Obese individual - 9.5 days per year
Very obese individual - 11 days per year
Obesity, however, is a complex issue, being impacted by a multitude of factors including an individual’s genetics, their activity level, their mental health, the society they live in and their ability to be active within it, local food availability (and production) and their food intake. Technological developments and the reduced need for significant activity day to day for many individuals is playing a role in this emerging health issue, as well as the assumed personal responsibilities of individuals.
Frustratingly obese employees continue to experience stigma and discrimination in the workplace due to their weight or size and therefore employers must ensure that they are aware of their legal responsibilities under the Equality Act (2010) and from a health and safety perspective especially when considering approaches to supporting individuals whose weight may be impacting upon their ability to undertake any aspect of their role.
Obesity and the workplace
There is inconclusive data to show that sedentary work is solely responsible for rises in obesity (see above). However, there are some clear links between individuals undertaking shift work and obesity levels, in part due to disrupted sleep patterns and associated social isolation, or reduced energy levels which may impact upon an individual’s desire to undertake regular exercise when not in work and a noted difficulty in sourcing healthier food options in the workplace if undertaking night shifts, for example if canteens are only open during the day or welfare arrangements/facilities are limited.
Where individuals work more than 40 hours per week there also appears to be increased risk of obesity, which may be due to time pressures, limited time to prepare meals and again reduced ability to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives.
Interestingly where employees report high quality leadership and increased autonomy within an individual’s employed role this is associated with weight loss, especially amongst male staff, whereas roles with high conflict had resulted in weight gain for female staff.
Obesity may be more prevalent in some sectors than others, and as such, given that employees spend significant periods of their life in the workplace, it is appropriate that employers consider how they support employees with understanding and managing a wide range of potential health issues, including obesity.
Many employers who have introduce pro-active health promotion activities have noted a positive impact upon the health of both individuals and teams leading to improved health and wellbeing, reduced absenteeism and increase productivity.
Given that recent data suggests only 39% of men and 29% of women undertake the recommended level of physical activity (150 min) every week employers should actively consider supporting employees to be more active, especially as many employees will identify that time constraints, caring responsibilities or access to activities as barriers to being more active when working especially if working fulltime.
Employers may wish to consider supporting employees to join health programmes, engage in group activities in and outside of the workplace (with colleagues or friends) or subsidising healthier eating choices. Where budgets allow consider promoting active travel, by setting up a cycle to work scheme Cycle to Work Scheme guidance for employers the provision of, or upgrading of, changing and showering facilities to enable staff to undertake exercise before or after work more easily.
As detailed above many of these interventions will save more money than they cost in the long run.
Some considerations for employers:
Employers should ensure that potential employees are fully aware of the requirements of their role at the time of appointment and that all staff are able to meet the demands of the role they have applied for, through having a robust selection process. Where necessary some employers may need to consider some form of functional assessment as part of the assessment to ensure potential employees are capable of undertaking core functions.
Examples:
Firefighters may be assessed to ensure that they are not afraid of heights or working in darkness prior to appointment.
Construction workers may need to be able to reach evacuation points within a specified time (dependent upon the perceived risk).
Community based support workers may need to be able to walk several hundred metres or climb stairs or navigate housing estates with limited vehicular access without experiencing shortness of breath or musculoskeletal pain which would prevent them from undertaking their role.
Individuals who are obese may sometimes be unable to undertake some aspects of their role due to issues with joints, motion or posture, therefore, in some situations, it may be appropriate for all staff to be periodically assessed to ensure that they remain able to undertake the required tasks, establishing minimum acceptable standards of physical ability may be necessary within some sectors.
For employees undertaking safety critical (SC) roles employers should ensure that risk assessments and method statements (RAMS) are up to date and clearly define potential hazards i.e. physical tasks, and ensure they consider whether reasonable adjustments are required to enable employees who may be overweight or obese to remain in role (see below).
Employers should ensure that all staff regardless of their size have access to uniforms and/or personal protective equipment (PPE), including shared PPE where used, which is both fit for purpose and comfortable to wear for the intended duration.
Specific safety critical issues:
As an employer you should ensure that you are aware of specific safety issues for overweight or obese staff for example, are you aware of any maximum load for your office chairs (this is nominally 150kg or approximately 23 stone)? Where staff use ladders (EN 131) these are designed to take a maximum load of 150kg (including tools, equipment and materials), where staff and or equipment may exceed this does your RAMS reflect this.
Some working harnesses (used for fall arrest, working at height or working in confined spaces) and any related accessories such as fall arrest devices may require users to be less than 100kg, you should ensure that staff are clearly able to identify whether a harness is suitable for their use.
*Generally, if a harness does not fit an individual comfortably, it is likely that they exceed the maximum user weight. Where an individual is unsure of their weight, they should not use a harness until this is known to be suitable for them to wear.
Individuals will generally perform well at any given task in the workplace if they are provided with the necessary training, equipment and ongoing support and mentorship however it is recognised that individuals who are obese may encounter some barriers which may prevent them from undertaking some aspects of their roles as effectively (safely) as their colleagues.
Employers should ensure that they equip managers with the necessary skills to have frank and open discussions in a tactful manner with their team members, where an individual’s weight may be impacting upon their ability to undertake their role, to explore options which may resolve the perceived or actual problems. Employers should also provide education and support for all staff in line with your equality and diversity policies to reduce the extent to which stigma and discrimination may impact upon staff.
Do not hesitate to get in touch if you would like to speak to one of our experienced clinicians to explore how you can improve the health and wellbeing of your staff, contact us here or call on 01792 321010.
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