Health club operator, Helio Fitness, is designing tailored membership packages for businesses, on request, to help reduce the number of employee sickness absence days.

The direct cost of absence for employers each year is around £434 per employee, with short-term sickness accounting for 80 percent of absences and 62 percent of lost time.

Neil Henshaw, manager of Helio Fitness, said: 'Sickness absence, due to work-related problems, can be prevented or reduced through regular exercise, which is one of the main reasons why we have taken a different approach to corporate memberships.'

As well as use of the fully-equipped gym, which houses state-of-the-art machines and a Technogym key system, Helio offers its members aerobic workouts, salsa dancing lessons and yoga. Details: +44 (0)1253 300 083