Shaping attitudes is as important as shaping bodies, according to Fitcorp, a corporate wellness company headquartered at the Prudential Center in downtown Boston. Fitcorp has a public division with six centers, and a private division with 11 centers. A good fitness program for employees reduces the fat in the company's bottom line. As Parent and Borque noted, a University of Michigan study in 1985 evaluated 4,000 Steelcase Co. employees in 14 risk categories, including weight, stress, smoking, drinking, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Fitcorp has embraced this strategy.
Exercise is the common denominator.
Since its inception, Fitcorp has carried out its mission by implementing corporate and wellness benefit programs at more than 150 corporations, including The Boston Co., the Federal Reserve Bank, the Gillette Co., the law firm of Hale and Dorr, Boston Scientific, and John Hancock. In addition to its on-site fitness program, John Hancock gives its employees in other parts of the country an allowance to use at qualified fitness clubs. Elizabeth Hurley, director of employee relations for John Hancock, said the Fitcorp fitness center and the benefit that reimburses employees who join approved centers helps retain employees while helping them maintain a lifestyle that includes exercise. Parent said Fitcorp tailors its programs to the company's culture. The focus for a blue collar company with a high percentage of employees who perform physical labor will differ greatly from a company with a high population of young professionals where stress management is the key to balancing their lives.