Module 5 - Section 3 段落填空 - Part 1 - Exercise 2

原文

Insurance provider Accident Compensation Corporation is one New Zealand organisation that has recently set up a wellness programme. The first initiative involves the 2,000 staff taking part in a special challenge, where teams compete with each other to see who can walk the furthest in a week. A spokesperson says there is no single reason behind the programme, except that it is an essential part of keeping staff healthy. Phone company 2degrees Mobile also began its first wellness programme recently. Manager Sarah Friis says the company was looking to increase staff engagement and show employees they were of value. The company has close to 800 employees, and its programme was established by eight volunteers from around the business. A range of initiatives were included in the programme, such as sports events and team challenges, and vaccinations were offered against things like influenza for which there was no charge.

This year 2degrees has taken professional advice, but Friis says their programme is still internally run because this is vital to keeping the energy going and getting feedback on what is working and what needs to changed. It now has an online facility which allows employees to keep up to date with all the latest advice on health and wellness. Two years in, Friis says one of the obvious benefits is a sense of greater unity. which she believes has been achieved by all staff eating a healthy lunch as a group every now and again. A more measurable benefit was shown in the 2degrees staff survey. which the company conducts every year, showing that more staff now recognise that 2degrees cares about the wellness of its employees.

One further New Zealand company that is developing its wellness programme is Sovereign Insurance. CEO Symon Brewis-Weston says that when he started at the company, the existing programme was satisfactory, with a number of employees using the opportunity to receive counselling. But he wanted more people to become involved and decided to include activities that created more staff interest. So the new scheme offers financial contributions for employee sports' teams and discounts on the likes of dental treatment. The company also has quarterly wellbeing challenges, including one where staff cut down on sugar and got tips on ways to reduce their daily intake. About 50% of staff took part, says Brewis-Weston.

Interestingly, however, some research from the USA, where wellness programmes have been in place much longer, suggests that the initiatives are not always as impressive as you might think. One study suggests that participants lost an average of less than half a kilogram a year, and that there were no significant reductions in the costs involved when it is necessary for employees to go to hospital for care. Meanwhile, the US book Surviving Workplace Wellness suggests that done badly, the programmes waste money and upset staff who feel they are made to take too many unnecessary tests. Given these findings. New Zealand companies will have to work hard to make sure their own wellness programmes achieve more success.