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7.5. SR 04-26-1993 ITEM 7.5. TO: FROM: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL PAT KLAERS, CITY AD~~~RATOR APRIL 22, 1993 (1' DATE: SUBJECT: FITNESS ROOM POLICY Attached for your review is a draft Fitness Room Policy. As all of the equipment is in the room and as some city employees are using the room and equipment and as card keys are now available for the entrance into City Hall, it seems appropriate for the City Council to consider a policy that would govern the use of the fitness room and equipment. The City Council should feel free to add or delete from the policy as they deem appropriate. . . 720 Dodge Avenue N.W., Elk River, Minnesota 55330 (612) 441-7420 FITNESS ROOM POLICY INTRODUCTION The City of Elk River strongly believes in a philosophy of promoting employee wellness. An employee wellness program benefits both the employer and employee plus, as we are dealing with City employees, an employee wellness program benefits the community as a whole. Healthy employees tend to be more productive employees and healthy employees require less City expenditures (i.e. City insurance costs; use of sick time and its related overtime expenses; etc.). It makes good common sense for the City to do as much as possible, even to the point of providing a fitness room and spending funds for equipment, to have a healthy work force. BACKGROUND . An employee fitness room and equipment is one part of a larger City wellness program. This wellness program is somewhat informal at this time and is still evolving. Other components of a City wellness program include offering professional assistance, training, and seminars in such areas as stress management, tobacco and alcohol control, and employee family lifestyle. With the completion of the new City Hall/Police Department facility, the City has an opportunity to expand on our previous employee wellness efforts. The City now has a fitness room and fitness equipment to offer for use to the employees. Previously the City has helped purchase weight equipment for the Police Department and has completed a Fire Station building expansion which has provided space for the Fire and Ambulance Service to purchase and install weights and aerobic equipment. With availability of a fitness room in the new City Hall facility and the purchase of exercise equipment, the City needs to formalize some policies and rules for the use of this room and equipment. POLICY -Employee and Guest- . The City fitness or exercise room should not be viewed as a health club, but the City intends to offer the use of this room and equipment to all regular City employees and to one guest of the employee at a time. Regarding having the facility open to an employee and an employee guest is an outgrowth of discussions regarding having the facility available to spouses and other family members. Most employees desire to "work out" with another individual and, in fact, another individual serving as a spotter is required when using some of the free 720 Dodge AvenueN.W.,Elk River, Minnesota 55330 (612) 441-7420 . . . weights in conjunction with a bench. Many questions arose regarding children under or over the age of eighteen, bringing the entire family to the fitness room, the fact that some employees have "significant others" and are not married, all of which came into play when developing the guest aspect of this City policy. In order to address most of these issues, it seems appropriate to simply allow the employee and one guest at a time to utilize the fitness room and equipment. This guest can therefore be a spouse, significant other, child over the age of eighteen, or a friend. Due to safety and insurance issues, no individual under the age of eighteen is allowed in the fitness room. -Waiver- All regular employees who use the fitness room and equipment, and all guests, must sign a release waiver. This is a requirement of the City insurance company. -Available Times- The City fitness room and equipment will be available to all regular, full time and part time employees, the volunteer Fire Department, the Police Reserves, and the City Council. The room is open 24 hours a day, but quests are only allowed with an employee during the following times; Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.; and Saturday/Sunday, 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., and 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. In this manner, if City employees wish to utilize the room when they know only other employees will be in the room, they can avoid the facility during the time periods when guests are allowed. -Miscellaneous Issues- Training on the use of the equipment can be arranged in group settings as necessary. Keys will be provided to all employees who desire access to the room. Lockers and showers are available in the exercise room vicinity. Employees are required to leave the locker room in a clean, neat condition. The City will not be providing towels for the locker room or for use when employees are using the equipment. It is difficult to establish rules when the City is encouraging everyone to utilize the wellness room equipment, however, it has become apparent that some guidelines are necessary. It is the intent of the City to keep the rules and regulations at a 4It minimum and to keep the City exercise room and equipment policy simple. Attached for your review are some fitness room conduct and procedure guidelines. 4It 4It . . . FITNESS ROOM CONDUCT AND PROCEDURES 1. EXERCISE CLOTHING persons using the facility must be properly attired at all times which would include gym shorts and t~shirts, sweat pants, leotards and tights; shirts are to be worn at all times. Protective footwear is also required at all times (no bare feet) 2. FOUL or abusive language will not be used while in the fitness room. 3. LIFTING spotters are required when using an\Olympic bar with heavy plates in cunjuction with a bench. 4. DUMBELLS or plates must be returned to the proper rack or stand. 5. DROPPING of dumbells on the fitness room floor is not allowed. 6. MACHINES such as exercise bike, treadmill, and stair climber shobid be turned off after use unless others are waiting to use it. 7. DISINFECTANT spray and towels are provided in the fitness room. Benches should be sprayed and wiped after use. 8. BRAKEDOWN of any piece of equipment should be tagged and brought to the attention of a supervisor as soon as possible. 9. CHALK is allowed as long as it is used neatly. 10. MUSIC in the fitness room is allowed as long as it is. kept at a reasonable level. 11. LIGHTS and music should be turned off when the fitness room is not in use.