HOUSTON: You have one more reason to ask for workplace flexibility from your boss.

It has now been proved scientifically that if companies provide workplace flexibility and if employees perceive that flexibility as real, then healthier lifestyle habits are put into action by those employees.

"People who believe they have flexibility in their work lives have healthier lifestyles. Individuals who perceive an increase in their flexibility are more likely to start some positive lifestyle behaviors," Joseph G Grzywacz, author of the study on effects of workplace flexibility on health behaviors.

Data for the study came from Health Risk Appraisals (HRAs) completed by employees of a large multinational pharmaceutical company. This company is consistently recognized by Working Mother magazine as among the most family-friendly employers in the United States, in large part, because if its commitment to flexibility such as compressed workweeks, flextime, job sharing, and remote or telework.

Employees with a wide variety of jobs and responsibilities completed the HRA, including executives, administrative support staff, and warehouse and production workers.

The data was analyzed to determine if lifestyle behaviours differ between employees with different levels of perceived flexibility and to identify if changes in flexibility over a one-year time period predicted changes in health behaviour.