What We Know:

Physical inactivity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and it is becoming increasingly prevalent. It ranks similarly to cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol as contributors to heart ailments. When a person’s activity level declines, the rate of heart disease increases. What’s more, less active, less-fit persons have a 30 to 50 percent greater risk of developing high blood pressure (New York State Department of Health, 2008). Only 30.9 percent of U.S. adults report engaging in leisure-time physical activity (American Heart Association, 2008).

Easy come, easy go.

For years companies accepted employee turnover as part of the cost of doing business. Some companies, lulled into complacency by a sleepy economy, a surplus of workers, and the belief that they can hire a replacement at a lower salary, still do. Experts predict that as the economy continues to strengthen those companies are in for a rude awakening. Workers, weary of having to do more with less and irritated by the lack of growth opportunities in their current job situations, are quietly networking over lunch or at their kids’ soccer games looking for something better. Estimates for just how many are considering changing jobs range from 30 to 86 percent1, which means it could be anything from seriously disruptive to devastating for some companies.

Change is rampant in North American enterprises—technological, social, demographic, economic, and political change at both global and local levels. Business realities are more tumultuous than ever before. Today’s organizations are undergoing a fundamental transformation in the way they think about, organize, and carry out work in a global competitive economy. This movement is characterized by a change from large, hierarchical, command-and-control organizations to smaller, more fluid, team-oriented enterprises with greater participation from an empowered work force.