The bar chart and table illustrate the exercise habits and absenteeism rates due to illness in the Birmingham and London departments of a major UK company in 2012.
Overall, Birmingham employees tended to exercise more frequently and had lower absenteeism rates compared to their counterparts in London.
In terms of exercise, nearly 50% of employees in Birmingham reported exercising more than 10 hours per week, with 20% exercising over 15 hours and around 30% exercising between 10 and 15 hours. In contrast, only 35% of employees in London exercised over 10 hours weekly. The largest group in London, making up 45% of employees, exercised between 5 and 10 hours, while 20% exercised less than 5 hours per week. This proportion was significantly higher than Birmingham, where only about 10% of employees exercised less than 5 hours.
The table highlights a clear correlation between exercise and absenteeism. In Birmingham, 380 out of 1,000 employees reported no absenteeism, significantly higher than the 158 employees in London. Furthermore, the number of employees taking 1-5 days off due to illness in London was 594, compared to 378 in Birmingham. Interestingly, the percentage of employees taking more than 5 days off was similar in both departments, with 242 in Birmingham and 248 in London.
In conclusion, Birmingham employees not only exercised more frequently but also had lower absenteeism rates, suggesting that regular physical activity might contribute to better health and fewer sick days.