Softball and Golf Top the List of Common Sports Programs Companies Offer Employees; Fitness Grows in Popularity

Oak Brook, IL (August, 2004) — Obesity is one of the nation’s top health risks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA. Many companies are fighting the battle by offering onsite recreation programs and facilities for employees looking to increase their physical activity and spend time with coworkers.

According to the “Recreation Programs Survey,” conducted by Employee Services Management (ESM) Association, 57 percent of companies offer sports programs for employees, which include everything from basketball to snow skiing to Frisbee golf.

TOP SPORTS PROGRAMS COMPANIES OFFER
72 percent: Golf
72 percent: Softball
64 percent: Fitness
57 percent: Basketball
56 percent: Volleyball

The most offered sports programs are golf and softball with 72 percent of companies offering these programs. Of all sports, 40 percent of companies say fitness experienced the highest increase in employee participation in the last two years.

Forty-eight percent of employers offer onsite sports facilities, which employees typically use during their breaks and before or after work. The most offered are fitness facilities (87 percent), outdoor volleyball (42 percent) and softball fields (38 percent). Of those companies without sports facilities, 57 percent partner with the community to offer sports facilities to employees.

Although many companies offer sports programs, 82 percent haven’t added new sports programs recently and 75 percent don’t plan to add new sports programs within the next two years. Most likely, the economy and tight budgets play a role in these trends.

ESM Association, an employee services organization that serves as an information and product/service network for nearly 2,000 members nationwide, developed this survey. The survey includes responses from 282 ESM Association members responsible for implementing and maintaining a diverse range of employee services and work/life programs. Most of the survey respondents (80 percent) employ 5,000 or less employees locally.

ESM Association provides Quarterly Surveys as one of its member services. Members receive a complete analysis of the survey results at no cost and use this information to benchmark with peers and justify new programs to management.

For more information about ESM Association or this survey, visit http://www.esmassn.org or contact ESM Association at esmahq@esmassn.org or (630) 368-1280.

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About ESM Association:
ESM Association is a national nonprofit association that has helped employee services providers perform their jobs better for over 60 years. Employee services providers typically work in the human resource departments of organizations. They are responsible for managing employee services, including recreation programs, community services, recognition programs, event planning, childcare/eldercare services, convenience services, and travel offerings. ESM Association exists to enhance the employee services profession through education, peer networking and discounts on products and services. For more information, visit http://www.esmassn.org.
 

©2001, Employee Services Management Association