The concept of including mandatory components to an employee wellness program will get a good workout in Aspen, Colo. this year.
Aspen Skiing Co., employer of some 1,500 workers who earn their pay working the ski slopes in the resort town, has added a mandatory fitness test to its wellness plan, according to the Aspen Times.
Dubbed "Work Ready," the initiative is designed to ensure that employees with physically demanding jobs can perform those jobs without endangering their own health, the company told the newspaper. It expands upon company policy that required new employees with physically demanding jobs to pass fitness tests.
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In order to help workers get ready for their fitness test, the company is making fitness consultants available to them over the next couple of months, the newspaper reported. Employees can take the test up to 50 times prior to the final exam, to gauge their level of conditioning. On Oct. 1, the tests will begin in earnest.
Even employees who spend most of their working time in desk jobs will have to pass a fitness test if they are normally called upon to assist on the slopes during peak ski season, the paper said. Components of the test include push-ups, stepping onto an elevated platform, hopping and balancing on one foot.
A company spokesperson told the newspaper that most employees have accepted the challenge as part of the job, with only a small percentage lodging complaints about it.
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
