Comment from Kathy Coviello

Our nation needs to be fully aware that allowing civilian employees to utilize duty hours for physical fitness serves as a strategic "people first" initiative, producing the following positive outcomes. For example, 1. Increased Readiness and Resiliency: Providing dedicated time for fitness directly improves the physical and mental resilience of the civilian workforce, ensuring they are prepared to support the warfighter and adapt to demanding operational environments. 2. Enhanced Productivity and Focus: Giving employees a regular "mental break" from their desks to burn off stress directly correlates with higher work-output quality and increased mission productivity. 3. Improved Work-Life Balance and Morale: Employees who participate in the program report notable increases in both job and life satisfaction, combined with reduced feelings of burnout. 4. Reduced Sick Leave Usage: Encouraging long-term, proactive physical fitness and preventive health education helps prevent illness and injury, resulting in less absenteeism and lower overall sick leave usage across the civilian workforce. 5. Continuous Long-Term Wellness: Unlike previous iterations of the program which were restricted to "once in a career" use, the current directive allows employees to utilize this benefit continuously every year to build permanent, healthy habits. Our senior leaders fully understand that when employees work out during the duty day, they are actually THINKING about work challenges and solving problems while also improving health. The Return On Investment (ROI) is truly significant, to the point that countless private companies- both small and large- also embrace it. This benefit truly makes sense and needs to remain as an option for OPM Administrative Leave options. Let's do the right thing for our nation's advantage