Some employers offer their employees subsidized membership of gym or sports clubs, believing that this will make their staff healthier and thus more effective at work. Other employers see no benefit in so doing.

Model Answer:
Sound health plays an indispensable role in our life and work performance. That is why many employers seek ways to offer perks, such as gyms or sports clubs sponsorship, with a belief that healthier and happier employees will become more productive at work while many other employers simply do not invest in it. The essay will examine both sides, but I personally believe that various other motivations and rewards, in combination with this initiative, will bring effective results.

The proponent of gyms or sports club subsidies offered by employers believes that physical and mental wellness is a prerequisite for optimal work performance. It is evident that sportive people are less likely to get sick, take fewer sick leaves and hence bring the least disruptions to daily operation in their workplace. Furthermore, sport is a good way to build team spirit and promote interpersonal skills. Thus the harmonious professional relationship that results from workers hitting the gyms or playing sports will certainly facilitate work efficacy. Moreover, sports club sponsorship by companies will implicitly convey the message that employers do care about the wellness of their employees alongside profit-making. Perhaps, employees will pay extra effort at work if they are valued. For instance, some of my friends speak highly of their employers because they feel their office authority takes care of their wellbeing by offering the facility to hit the gym.

Conversely, the opponent of gyms or sports facility funding says that companies should focus on incentives that really matter to employees instead, namely job prospects, pay increments, job satisfaction, training opportunities, reasonable workloads and holidays. If employees’ performances are directly linked to their pay increments or career progression, they should have enough tangible rewards to work effectively. Likewise, if workers are able to identify meaningful goals or get job satisfaction, they should have intrinsic motivation to excel at work. To give an example, studies show that employees work more dedicatedly when they are motivated and are awarded rather than having facilities like gyms.

In conclusion, I believe that gyms or sports clubs membership offered by the office is one of many effective motivations for some employees to work efficiently at work. But for many others, monetary or other tangible or intangible rewards are more useful. It is expected that employers will provide a range of extrinsic and intrinsic motivators that will promote productivity at work.

[Written by – Vanessa]