C6 Tuesday, October 1, 2013
FITNESS & WELL-BEING
ACTION STATIONS
4.5m
CLP Power employees perform a 15-minute stretching session at their desks. Photo: Oliver Tsang
$ The Western trend of encouraging corporate employees take better care of themselves is taking root in Hong Kong, writes Elaine Yau
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ince 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. 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 AsiaPacific region office. “For those who are fit and expect to make few doctor visits, they can get the downscale option and enjoy the credits.” Eric Kung Ping-yin, chief executive of Human Dynamic, an international health consultancy that designs wellness programmes for corporations, says more local companies are taking a proactive approach to boosting the health of their employees. “[Companies] would rather make an investment in such incentive programmes instead of having to confront the future costs arising from employees’ poor health,” he says. A “know your numbers” campaign is sweeping across the corporate sector, Kung says. Rather than sales figures, however, the numbers refer to the health status of employees. Increasingly, companies are putting their staff through basic health tests to establish a general
health profile of their workforce. Blood tests are used to check for, among other things, high levels of cholesterol. “From that information a company can see how many staff are smokers, overweight
or prone to diabetes,” Kung says. At Eaton, Tse says, a health risk self-assessment was created to gather details about the lifestyles of employees, such as how many cigarettes they smoke a day, their diet and sources of stress. Tse says such an overall staff health profile can help them identify health risks early, allowing for relevant interventions and solutions. Eaton has 28,000 employees in the Asia-Pacific region, most of whom are assembly line workers, with 20,000 in China and 3,000 in India. “From the health data we have collected over the past two years, we found that the staff from the Asia-Pacific region suffer a lot of stress,” Tse says. “The stress is caused by work, poor diet and lack of exercise, so we have set up a free hotline which staff can call for counselling on stress management.” At CLP Power, incentive programmes take the form of health competitions. Last year, the company launched an inter-department weight-loss competition, where about 180 employees battled to shed the most weight and inches from their waistlines. “We have also launched a monthly lucky draw to
The amount, in Hong Kong dollars, Lok Sin Tong was granted to help people give up smoking
encourage staff to walk up stairs instead of taking the lift,” says Albert Lam Fun-sing, CLP Power’s deputy director of system operations and chairman of its social recreation club. “The more stairs walked, the higher one’s chances of winning the draw.” Disincentives are another approach to encouraging a healthier workforce. In the West, it’s not uncommon for companies to fine overweight staff or smokers. In 2010 a new health bill was passed in the US which allowed companies to adopt punitive measures to boost employees’ health. Tyre maker Michelin decreed that male and female staff would have to pay an extra HK$7,800 in insurance fees if their waist was over 101.6cm and 88.9cm respectively. Department store chain Macy’s fines employees who smoke US$35 per month if they refuse to join a programme to quit. A recent survey by human resources firm Aon Hewitt interviewed 800 large- and medium-sized employers in the US. It found that 79 per cent of
companies have cash incentives to encourage staff to join health check or fitness programmes, 58 per cent plan to fine staff for leading unhealthy lifestyles and 5 per cent have already implemented punitive programmes. While Hong Kong companies have yet to adopt the idea of punitive measures, Kung says more bosses have taken to embracing the incentive approach. “The loss of productivity resulting from absenteeism and poor work performance of staff with poor health is a far greater cost than making an investment in incentive programmes,” he says. Local charity Lok Sin Tong launched an outreach quitsmoking programme at the start of this year with a grant of HK$4.5 million from the Health
From health data we found that staff from the Asia-Pacific region suffer a lot of stress AGNES TSE OI-MAN
Department’s Tobacco Control Office. The charity sends counsellors to companies to provide help with creating policies to encourage their employees to stop smoking. So far 65 local companies have joined the programme. According to a Lok Sin Tong spokeswoman, some companies offer a cash prize or paid leave as rewards for people who give up. Other companies have a buddy programme that pairs a smoker with a non-smoker who tags along to counselling sessions and provides encouragement. Half the participating companies are in the property management, sales and cleaning sectors, which tend to have many staff who deal with the public, says the spokeswoman. “We saw that smoking cessation services on the market were already saturated, so in order to have more progress in the drive to snuff out smoking, we approached employers. Companies acknowledge the toll smoking takes on employees’ health and hence the companies’ operational costs,” she says. “We have found that employers can influence staff more than their families because people care about what their bosses think of them.” elaine.yau@scmp.com
PERSONAL BEST
Runner has mountains to climb to reach top 10 ................................................ Rachel Jacqueline life@scmp.com We all have dreams: some extravagant, some insignificant, others seemingly impossible. Stone Tsang dreams of standing among the top 10 at the finish line of the world’s most prestigious mountain race. Last month, he came within minutes of realising it. At a little past 4pm, the compact Chinese runner blazed through the packed streets of Chamonix, in France, exchanging high fives with the cheering crowd as he jogged effortlessly to the finish line of the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc, a race that attracted 2,300 elite runners from across the globe. You couldn’t tell that he’d been running for 168 kilometres over 24 hours, crossing Switzerland and Italy before returning to France, leaving formidable mountain peaks in his wake. While you went about your Saturday, he climbed a cumulative 9,600 metres – higher than Mount Everest. Crossing the line in 24 hours, 15 minutes and 58 seconds, he extended his arms victoriously and a broad grin spread across his face. At that moment, he “felt
like an Olympic athlete”, he says. He cared little that 16 other men – and the top woman – had finished ahead of him. He had completed the journey ahead of his 24 hours, 40 minutes target, making him the fastest Chinese in the race. Tsang had competed in the UTMB before. In his first endeavour, in 2008, he finished 44th in 28 hours – a respectable result, but he knew he could improve. An attempt in 2009 ended in injury, while the 2010 race was on a shortened course due to inclement weather. Despite almost missing the start that year, he finished 21st. This year’s race was unlike the others. In previous years, his finish time would have been fast enough to put him among the top 10. But this time it was highly competitive, attracting more top European and American names, with the 10th man finishing 25 minutes earlier than Tsang. Reflecting on the experience, Tsang admits that arriving in Chamonix two days before the race was not the ideal preparation. An unshakeable headache took hold and he slept fitfully for two days. On race day, doubts crept in. “Can I do it?” he repeatedly asked himself. But the energy
from the other runners calmed his worries. He started conservatively, chatting to runners along the way and enjoying the scenery of the French Alps. Experience had tapered his instinct to start at full speed. Passing the early casualties, he felt vindicated. But at 26 kilometres – far too soon – cramps set in. He took his time. He walked, he stretched, he ate. And then he took hold of his fear and hurled it off the mountain, repeating a mantra: “Just do the best you can; if you feel better, push.” Before long, he was on his way again. The real nightmare began as he reached the halfway stage. Not only was he totally exhausted, and his legs heavy as lead, but a searing pain also burned behind his right knee. So he walked, rested, and took some painkillers. After a while he felt recharged again, drawing energy from the rising sun, which cast a golden sheen on Mont Blanc. Yet it wasn’t long before the pain returned. This time, at 123 kilometres, he met his friend Tsuyoshi Kaburaki, and his competitive spirit was stirred. “Stone, you are in the top 25 runners,” shouted Kaburaki, a
Within seconds of crossing the line, Tsang learned of his ranking – so near, yet so far top Japanese runner. The UTMB ranks as possibly the toughest running race in the world. It is both incredibly long and exceptionally steep, the soaring altitude exacerbating the body’s battering with every step. Coming from Hong Kong, where the mountains are relative molehills compared with the French Alps, it’s difficult to prepare adequately for the challenge. Tsang believes his attention to detail made the difference. He taped each of his toes to avoid blisters and bound his soles. He stopped at the checkpoints and took the time to ask his body how it felt and what it needed. Three-quarters into the race, Tsang’s dream seemed within reach. He fixed his gaze on the runners ahead and mentally tied
Stone Tsang completed the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc. Photo: K.Y. Cheng
himself to them, pulled closer, and overtook. Six kilometres from the finish, he cantered through the final checkpoint without stopping for water. He instantly regretted his decision. With the pain in his knee returning with a vengeance, he once again needed painkillers. Without water, he had no choice but to chew them. As the acerbic taste filled his mouth, he passed a spectator carrying a bottle of water. It was Kilian Jornet, a three-time winner of the UTMB who was sitting out the race this year. Jornet allowed Tsang a few precious sips. With the champion’s encouragement, Tsang was on his way again. Within seconds of crossing the line, Tsang learned of his ranking – so near, yet so far. A momentary wave of disappointment for missing the top 10 washed over him. But this was soon replaced by a sense of anticipation: he would have to do it all again next year. Sometimes the journey to realising dreams is as important as reaching the destination. And something about the way Tsang speaks now suggests that he’s that much closer to achieving his goal.