Wellness Program Incentives

Prior to you begin planning your Employee Wellness Program you need to have a benchmark.  Completing a thorough needs assessment is vital to the performance of your wellness program for two reasons:  First it ensures that your Employee Wellness Program activities will be targeted to meet your company’s specific needs so that outcomes have the potential to be achieved.  Secondly the needs assessment provides the information you will need to evaluate the effectiveness of your wellness program.

It is often tempting to hurry through the assessment – especially when time is short or those with experience already have an idea of needs.  Do not give in to this temptation!  It is critical that you know what your employer needs are, what management expects, and what employees want as well as expect, before you establish a Worksite Health Promotion Program.  

Consider and gather data on:

• Employee Demographic Information
• Employee Health Risk Factors
• Medical Claims
• Injury Rates & Causes
• Workers’ Compensation Claims
• Short and Long Term Disability Claims
• Rates of Absenteeism
• Business Culture Audits
• Employee perceived needs and health risks
• Upper Management’s expectations or desired outcomes

There are many ways to evaluate this information.  Although some of data gathering process may be time consuming, remember that it is nonetheless critical to plan programs that target specific issues.  This information will be critical to set goals and objectives and for evaluating program success.  How else can you know if outcomes have been achieved?

Options to help gather the information:

• Confidential Health Risk Appraisals (HRAs) with a Employer Group Summary Report
• Wellness Screenings such as blood lipids, Blood Pressure (BP) and blood glucose click here for additional information on wellness screenings.
• Employee Needs and Interest Surveys
• Suggestion boxes placed around the organization
• Focus Groups or hosting a luncheon meeting as a focus group
• Sending out a confidential email questionnaire
• Review records and databases including OSHA logs, first aid reports, insurance expenditures  

Once your needs assessment is complete, the Corporate Health Promotion Program Committee can review the results and start planning and prioritizing program options.  Beginning must be based upon objectives and goals and identified outcomes, Step 4 of the seven step process!

Creating an active Company Health Promotion Program Committee provides opportunities for both senior staff and employee involvement in the program.  The Wellness Committee ought to be a team of staff members and managers who formally meet to plan activities to promote healthier employee lifestyles.

Typical Functions of a Workplace Health Promotion Program Committee:

• Reviewing needs & interests
• Coming up with program ideas
• Starting activities
• Establishing communication plans
• Promoting programs to co-workers
• Serving as champions of the Worksite Wellness Programs
• Assisting with assessment  

Your Employee Health Promotion Program Committee should be representative of all levels of the organization.  Consider all facets of the workforce – multiple sites, shift staff members, diversity (race, gender, ethnicity), and departments.   It’s also important to consider who will chair or co-chair the Employee Health Promotion Program Committee and whether or not there are the finances to support a Employee Health Promotion Program manager or occupational health consultant, even on a part-time or contractual basis.  Click here for more information on the benefits of a health consultant.  

Depending on your corporation size and resources, if you already have a corporation Safety Committee you might want to consider making it the Safety & Corporate Wellness Program Committee.  You have the potential to request volunteers or invite workers to take part.  

The number of Employee Health Promotion Program Committee members depends on the size of your company; however, you need a sufficient number of members to get the work done and yet not too many to keep it manageable, usually a minimum of 4 members and maximum of 12 to 15 members.  It’s important to include skeptics of wellness as well and not just those employees already practicing healthy lifestyles.  

Depending on your worksite, consider representatives from the following areas:

• Employee representatives from a cross section of different departments,
• Senior Leadership
• Health and safety consultant(s),
• Human Resources (HR) professional(s),
• Employee benefits representative or someone from finance,
• Your EAP provider (if applicable), Click here for more information on EAPs
• Occupational health employee (if applicable).

Establish an effective Corporate Wellness Program Committee!  The Corporate Wellness Program Committee should meet regularly with a planned agenda and action items.  Successful Wellness Committees have a shared mission, vision and objectives and goals.  Participants must believe that their participation is worthwhile and appreciated, that their work is valuable, benefits the organization and co-employees, and they are recognized for their contributions. Refer to the NC Workplace Programs section for examples of what other businesses have implemented.

As with any program, the two critical elements for the performance of your wellness program are senior staff backing & employee participation.  Senior Management sets the vision and arranges the resources from which action plans flow.  Genuine backing from senior personnel also lends credibility to the wellness program.  It is critical that senior staff be visible supporters and role models for your Employee Health Promotion Program.

staff members need to be involved on several levels so that they feel ownership of the wellness program.  Workers are the program stakeholders!  All staff members must have a chance to provide input and feedback through needs & interest surveys and program assessment tools.  The information gathered must be used to plan programs that target those needs and interests to ensure participation, buy-in, and support.

There are several methods to identify employee needs and interests such as:

• Holding Employee Focus Groups
• Discussing Wellness Interests During Department meetings
• Distributing and Encapsulating a Needs & Interest Survey
• (Including|Allowing for|Making sure to include} a Chance to Give Recommendations on Each Assessment Tool  

Any one or combination of several techniques will ensure that the wellness program meets what workers want.

Step 3 supplies additional information on determining wellness program needs.  But first, instituting a Workplace Wellness Program Committee can help you involve upper management & staff members, determine need, and plan your wellness program.

A key to a efficacious Company Health Promotion Program requires management responsibility and employee involvement.

Workplace Wellness Program Step 2: Create a Workplace Wellness Program Committee

An active Company Health Promotion Program Committee ensures employee participation, provides buy-in, management reinforcement, and maintains a crew that is prepared to take action to integrate wellness programs.

Corporate Wellness Program Step 3: Gather Data to Determine Key Needs and Expectations

The next vital component is to base the Employee Health Promotion Program on the needs and interests of your organization and its staff members.

Corporate Wellness Program Step 4: Establish Goals and Objectives

Goals and objectives are the road maps to guide you where your program needs to go.   These make up the foundation for planning and evaluating activities to ensure that your wellness program will meet your special needs.

Worksite Health Promotion Program Step 5: Design a Detailed Action Plan

There is no such thing as over-planning!  The best of intentions can get lost, overstepped, or forgotten in the absence ofadequate planning, and then it would be all for naught.

Employee Health Promotion Program Step 6: Select and Begin a Plan

Armed with the needs assessment data, a Workplace Health Promotion Program Committee, goals/objectives it’s now time to put your plan into action!

Workplace Health Promotion Program Step 7: Oversee and Review Your Workplace Health Promotion Program

Evaluation is an important step to keep a program on target, as well as to see that the program is reaching its goals and objectives or achieving the desired results.

In Summary

These Seven Steps outline considerations for a comprehensive approach to establishing an effective wellness program.  Can you start components of wellness activities without referring to these steps?  Yes, of course, but you may lack the sustainability or ability to bring about desired outcomes.  Following the Seven Steps need not be confusing or burdensome.  A very simple approach can achieve a efficacious wellness program!

Therefore, to ensure a efficacious wellness program refer to the key components as you plan your program or better your current program:

• Upper Management Support & Employee Involvement
• Active Employee Wellness Program Committee
• Company Health Promotion Program is Based on Employee Needs & Interests
• Corporate Wellness Program Goals and Objectives are Determined
• Detailed Workplace Wellness Program Action Plan Based on Resources & Budget
• Workplace Wellness Program Implementation & Internal Marketing
• Evaluation of Corporate Health Promotion Program Outcomes

The program design options hinge upon the objectives and desired outcomes of your program.  If your goal is to help employees change behavior, lower risk factors, or save healthcare money then your wellness program would be designed to accomplish those outcomes and a budget would be crucial to support that design.  

Wellness program design options vary, depending on desired outcomes and budgets.  Each level has advantages and disadvantages.  The intentions or results are quite different, are not interchangeable in terms of obtaining the same results, and therefore ought not be confused.  By way of example, scheduling activities such as an employee wellbeing and health fair or lunchtime education sessions, or having brochures available do not usually result in behavior change, but may increase awareness on a topic.  If the goal is behavior change then a different design is required, such as Lifestyle/Behavior Change Programs and Company Support.  The outline below describes the wellness design levels with a brief explanation.

Awareness Programs:  At this level a company makes health information available and accessible to employees.  This type of program frequently includes pamphlets on a variety of subject matters, wellness articles in newsletters, bulletin board displays, e-mail health messages, etc.   Also, most health & wellness fairs are designed as awareness programs with vendors offering information and offering health screenings to employees.  

Awareness programs are cheap and do not require extensive employee or corporation time commitments.  Nevertheless, these programs do not usually yield behavior modification.  Improving awareness isn’t usually enough to generate lifestyle changes for most Americans, unless used to excite employees to register for a program being provided at the corporation or community on the topic.  An example of this would be providing information on the deleterious effects of smoking and inviting employees who smoke to register for a smoking cessation class.

Education Programs:  Educational programs often support more information on a topic and have the potential to also provide time for Q & A, but are similar to awareness programs.  An example is lunch-n-learn sessions on a health related topic.  These cost the employer a modest amount more than awareness programs; however, they remain inexpensive and do not require much time for planning or attending a session.  Again, building awareness and offering information may not lead to the desired behavior modification unless ongoing backing or incentives are also planned.

Lifestyle/Behavior Change Programs:  These programs are designed as 4 to 12 weekly sessions or seminars to offer wellbeing and health education, address barriers and offer opportunities to practice the desired skills.  Behavior change programs therefore require additional business resources, cost more, and also require additional employee commitment, time and effort.  The results are frequently the desired positive lifestyle change, which if sustained may lead to potential cost savings.  

Examples include smoking cessation classes, weight loss and weight management meetings, or an ongoing fitness program.

Environmental and Employer Support:  Environmental reinforcement is often considered the highest and most valuable level to include when creating your wellness program in order to support and maintain healthy behaviors.  These types of design options include policy changes such as:

• Creating a smoke-free workplace
• Designating a walking path,
• Establishing workplace fitness centers,
• Ensuring healthy snack machines selections,
• Offering healthy food choices in the cafeteria, and/or
• Creating flex-time policies.  

Other examples include subsidizing healthy snack machines or cafeteria choices; reimbursing fitness center or weight loss and weight management program memberships; or offering insurance incentives for healthy behaviors.

Ideally, the wellness program design would include some of each of these options.  The more comprehensive the approach, the more successful the outcome will be.  By way of example, a corporation can have smoking cessation information available; can schedule a one hour awareness session on the harmful effects of smoking and how to quit; can implement an onsite tobacco cessation program, supply self quit smoking kits, or support workers to go to a neighborhood program; and/or on an environmental support level can establish a smoke-free workplace and grounds, offer decreased medical insurance for non-smokers, or offer pharmacological quit smoking aids for free.

Company Wellness Program: Components for Success

There are many critical components that must be considered to see to the effectiveness of your Worksite Wellness Program or Worksite Wellness Program.  These include:  

• Senior Leadership Backing & Employee Involvement
• Active Worksite Wellness Program Committee
• Program is Based on Employee Needs & Interests
• Goals and Objectives are Determined
• Detailed Action Plan Based on Resources & Budget
• Program Implementation & Internal Marketing
• Assessment of Outcomes and Program

Major benefits of healthy staff members include:

• Decreased Medical Care costs
• Reduced Injuries
• Lowered Absenteeism
• Boosted Morale and Loyalty
• Increased Productivity
• Lowered Use of Medical Care Benefits
• Diminished Workers’ Comp/Disability
• Positive Perception in Community
• Reduced Turnover
• Better recruitment for competent employee

What is NOT Having a Company Wellness Program Costing Your Employer?  

Consider the health risk factors that are exacerbating chronic diseases for adults:

• 59% of adults are overweight or obese
• Greater than 60% of Americans do not exercise regularly
• More than 75 percent of Americans do not eat the minimum recommendations for fruits and vegetables
• Heart disease is the leading common cause of death and the # 1 cause of death in smokers
• 26% of employees stated they were often or very often burned out or stressed by their occupation  

Medical Care expenditures are Growing:  Medical Care costs are at a record figure of $1.7 trillion with no signs of leveling out, let alone going down.  The average cost of annual medical spending is over $5,000 per person and including dependents almost $10,000.  Recent data shows that medical related expenditures now cost North Carolina companies thousands of dollars per employee, per year.

Most Illnesses Can Be Prevented:  Although it sounds unrealistic, experts indicate that preventable illness makes up 60 percent – 70 percent of the entire burden of illness in the U.S..   In North Carolina, it is estimated that more than 53 percent of all deaths are preventable, and that 2/3 of all preventable deaths are due to tobacco use, a sedentary lifestyle, and poor nutrition.

Stress Levels are Rising:  As employer resources diminish and employers adopt leaner work practices, the effects of absenteeism and productivity lost have an increased influence.  In a new national poll, 78 percent of the population described their jobs as stressful, and most felt that stress levels have increased over The last ten years.  In addition, high levels of employer stress are able to adversely affect a employer by rising injuries, absenteeism, and health care expenditures while decreasing work rate.  Simple solutions such as stress management education, flexible work schedules, quality social interaction, and increased participation in employer decision-making are able to improve stress levels in the workplace.

What is the Initial Cost and Time Investment for a Worksite Wellness Program?

The expenditure is dependent upon the type of Worksite Wellness Program implemented.  There are several options to promote employee health with advantages and disadvantages of each.  The program design is dependent upon the goals and objectives of the wellness program, the organization resources, and the neighborhood resources available.  

Enhancing dietary practices, expanding physical exercise levels, managing stress or addressing work life balance issues, and lowering/eliminating tobacco use, are primary strategies for preventing many of the most common avoidable chronic diseases. The possibilities of how your corporation addresses these issues are endless and can range from expanding employee awareness, which may include purchasing a few handouts on a variety of topics, and measuring walking distances around your facility, to instituting corporation reinforcement such as funding a full-time occupational health consultant or building an onsite fitness center.  

When well-planned and based on your objectives and goals, any of these programs are able to help you succeed.  Refer below to Corporate Wellness Program Design Options for additional ideas.

A Employee Wellness Program is a multi-faceted program to assist and support employees in starting healthier lifestyles.  This could possibly include rising employee awareness on health subject matters, scheduling behavior change programs, and/or starting organization policies that support health-related objectives.  Programs and policies that reward increased physical activity, tobacco use prevention and cessation, and healthy meal selections are a few examples.  

Dimensions of Wellness

Wellness is much more than fitness alone.  In addition to physical fitness, the ranges of ideal health include:

   • Spiritual Dimension of Wellness,
   • Emotional Wellness,
   • Social Wellness,
   • Intellectual Dimension of Wellness

These ranges are frequently illustrated as a “life wheel” with examples of health components that include fitness, nutrition, purpose in life, financial health, social well-being & reinforcement systems, stress management, mind-body health, career planning and continued learning.   The key behind personal health is keeping the “life wheel” in allignment.  A comprehensive workplace wellness program addresses most, if not all, of these ranges.

Why Company Health Promotion Programs?

workers invest a great deal of time working, and the fact of the matter is that our traditional work-week is increasing.  In fact, the typical American now labors about 47 hours every week.  In addition, technologies such as modems, laptops, cell phones, voice and email have made vague the line between life and work.  These realities diminish the amount of time that the average worker is able to devote to wellbeing and health pursuits, and yet workers are expected to be top of their game when at work.

A current study from the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses found that workplace wellness or Employee Wellness Programs are thriving in assisting staff members to make positive health changes due to several factors such as convenience, environmental support, and co-worker or social acceptance.  

What’s the Connection between Wellness and the Workplace?

Programs and policies that encourage healthy lifestyles are able to make a large difference on employee wellness AND have an impact on the business’s bottom line.  Studies have found that for each dollar invested by employers in Company Wellness Programs/wellness programs, there were savings between $1.49 to $4.91 with a average savings of $3.14*.  In business jargon, that’s more than a 3:1 minimum return on investment – a number that is tough to ignore, and a best practice that must draw serious consideration from employers.  In fact, a Company Wellness Program literature review published in Health Promotion Practitioner Journal found:

   • 19 research studies found a 28.3 percent reduction in sick time
   • 16 research studies determined a 5.6:1 return on investment
   • 23 showed a 26.1 percent decline in healthcare costs
   • 4 found a 30% decrease in direct healthcare and workers’ compensation claims

There is little doubt that a all-inclusive wellness program optimized to meet a company’s specific needs can save money by decreasing absenteeism, decreasing medical care expenditures, decreasing employee turnover, and building productivity.

• The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2003

Following cost, poor employee engagement and inadequate talks and support are listed as the greatest challenges for businesses administering any health benefi t program.22

By law, employers are required to explain any benefits or explicit conditions of employment to all staff members – this is called “due process,” and it usually takes the form of a packet of information that new staff members are asked to review and sign during orientation or, in the case of existing staff members, a brief communication during open enrollment periods.

Companies that only engage in the minimally needed due process communication of a Corporate Wellness Program, however, do a disservice to the program and the corporation.

Opinions about Medical Care in companies represent one of the largest disconnects between management and workers. In discussing the need for savings, most companies (70 percent) believe their business effectively communicates about rising Medical Care costs, while only 34 percent of workers feel rising Medical Care costs effect their business’ ability to succeed.23 When it comes to conduct, 74 percent of companies believe their workers must be held largely accountable for improving, managing and maintaining health, yet only 4 percent of companies think that workers participate in these activities.

Under the proposed rules, the four requisites to be a bona fide Corporate Wellness Program are:

- The total reward that may be given to an individual is limited. The departments invited comments on the appropriate level of the reward, suggesting that a limit of 10% to 20% of the total expense of employee-only coverage may be appropriate.
- The program must be reasonably designed to promote great health or prevent disease for individuals in the program.
- The reward must be available to all similarly situated people. More specifically, the program must allow any individual for whom it is unreasonably diffi cult due to a healthcare condition to meet the Employee Health Promotion Program standard (or for whom it is medically inadvisable to attempt to meet the Employee Health Promotion Program standard) an opportunity to satisfy a reasonable alternative standard.
- All plan materials describing the terms of the program must disclose the availability of a reasonable alternative standard.
Source: American Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration

As Northwestern Memorial’s Kathryn Krivy says, “The most fundamental failure in any Company Health Promotion Program is not communicating. You need to tell people what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. You have to get staff members engaged and educate them of what’s going on.”

A properly started Employee Wellness Program is designed to save a employer more money with greater participation. Nonetheless, a employer must match its focus on program design with an equally strategic investment in efforts to participate workers in the initiatives.

Lay out your case – Despite widespread recognition of increasing Medical Care costs, staff members remain skeptical that the issue impacts organization operations. In fact, only 53% of staff members even believe what their organization communicates about the subject.24 Companies need to be more candid and forthcoming about the amount they spend on Medical Care and how that relates to larger budgetary constraints and potential investments.

Says Motorola’s Saenz: “We share with staff members that we have been able to maintain Motorola’s Medical Care spend trend below national average over the past several years due to their participation in our various Workplace Wellness Programs. This transparency is necessary to keep reminding people the reasons for our conduct.”

An effective strategy is to focus on the cost savings and overall health benefi ts to the employee and not the company. By personalizing the information in this way, it creates a win-win scenario rather than presenting the program as a sacrifi ce on the part of the employee. Information ought to be presented through multiple channels, constructed in a way that makes sense to all levels of workers, and offered to workers, dependents and retirees.

Make it your own – Every Company Wellness Program will be different, and must reflect the culture of a business. While program areas will be determined by analyzing employee health risks, the actual offerings must be shaped by the nature of the business. Younger, more active employee communities may be attracted by different programs than an older or technicaloriented employee. Additionally, a global business with mobile staff members will have different needs than a business with one central location.

As noted earlier regarding PepsiCo’s HealthRoads, one strategy is for employers to brand their Corporate Wellness Programs. Union Pacifi c Railroad (HealthTracks), General Motors (LifeSteps) and Caterpillar (Healthy Balance) all adopted this approach to help create recognition and a larger meaning around their efforts. Having a branded initiative helps workers and other stakeholders see the larger objectives of the Corporate Wellness Program, rather than focusing on isolated offerings.

Say it loud, say it proud – As a potential cost-saving plan, Corporate Wellness Programs should be given the same executive backing and internal responsibility as any comparable organization effort. Employers should not approach wellness as simply a preventive, financially-motivated program, but rather as an opportunity for the organization to distinguish itself and become more competitive.

Jeffrey Treem, analyst, Edelman Change and Employee Engagement Group, says that effective communication about Company Health Promotion Programs should be integrated into existing business communication channels and vehicles. “This comprises executive communication to external stakeholders,” he notes, “because this sends a powerful message back to workers about the importance of the programs. Company Health Promotion Programs should not be treated as merely an additional employee perk, but rather an innovative and strategic effort to lower costs and create a healthier work environment.” Talk among yourselves – The most powerful champions of any Company Health Promotion Program will be the participants.

Organizations should find ways to facilitate discussions about the program among employees. This could take the form of support groups, interactive media and the sharing of success stories.

Nevertheless, since Workplace Wellness Programs touch on potentially private health problems, it is valuable communication remains positive and inclusive, while not pressuring workers. Discussion of wellness problems should be voluntary, though employers may consider providing incentives and rewards for those willing to contribute. Motivation and information from peers is likely to carry more credibility and significance than messages from management.

———-

Even in an at-will employment environment, people are still guarded from discrimination (including wrongful termination) by virtue of belonging to a protected class. Before implementing a Employee Wellness Program, companies need to be aware of the relevant legal restrictions and the potential affects these measures can have on benefi ts and employee behavior programs.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – Prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

This means that standards and offerings need to be applied equally (or possibly proportionally) to all protected classes. In other words, if a business is offering access to gyms, it must make sure that men and women have equal access to facilities. Organizations must also consider whether individuals who may live in areas heavily populated by one race, religion or ethnicity also have access to facilities and programs. The easiest way to address this concern is to supply onsite Workplace Wellness Programs whenever possible. This not only ensures equal access, but according to Northwestern Memorial’s Krivy, also stimulates participation.

Businesses must also be aware that particular health issues may disproportionately affect protected classes. Health Risk Assessments and any incentives/rewards put in place may have to be customized to account for non-lifestyle related differences.

The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA) – Protects men and women who perform substantially equal work in the same establishment from sex-based wage discrimination. Benefits, rewards and incentives and programs need to be applied equally to men and women. A employer cannot set a weight goal for men and not for women, even though a employer can set health parameters by job function. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) – Protects people who are 40 years of age or older from discrimination based on age.

Policies not only need to be available to individuals of all ages, but program objectives, restrictions and incentives need to be designed with age appropriateness. While older workers (or retirees and dependents) may inherently pose a higher health risk, their actions should be judged in terms of demographically appropriate measures.

Title I and Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) – Prohibits employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities in the private sector, and in state and local governments. Similar to other workplace offerings, any Workplace Health Promotion Programs, such as a fitness center or health clinic, would have to make reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities.

One area of equivocation is whether very overweight staff members qualify as disabled. The issue is complicated because weight is caused by several factors (genetics, environment, behavior), some of which may be out of the employee’s control. Generally, for staff members to qualify for disability based on weight, the condition must signifi cantly impair their physical or mental ability to perform their job. This determination would need to be made by a qualifi ed physician. Although this label may affect the types of incentives and rewards and program requirements provided, it likely would not affect the overall implementation of behavioral-focused initiatives.

Civil Rights Act of 1991 – Provides monetary damages in cases of intentional employment discrimination.

This legislation authorizes individuals to sue employers for improper treatment. Compensation can be in the form of actual damages such as lost or expected wages, compensatory damages for a circumstance that causes public embarrassment, or even punitive damages meant to send a message to a employer for egregious or habitual violations.

While these laws govern all corporation activities, there are even more stringent restrictions with regard to Health Care problems. Most policies, communications and data collection regarding employee health are governed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Under HIPAA businesses can’t deny eligibility for benefits or charge a higher premium on the basis of:

• Health status
• Health condition (including both physical and mental illnesses)
• Claims experience
• Receipt of medical care
• Medical history
• Genetic information
• Evidence of insurability (covers activities such as riding a motorcycle, skiing, snowmobiling and other similar pursuits)
• Disability

Nonetheless, because wellness programs may not include healthcare treatment or be insurance related, and may instead be confined to behavioral initiatives, HIPAA’s nondiscrimination provisions do not completely apply. To address this, in 2001 the U.S. Department of Labor, the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services jointly issued a proposed regulation to help clarify the lawful provisions of a “bona fi de Wellness Program” in the context of HIPAA’s existing language (See Box p. 14). Although the regulation is not yet final, corporations that comply with the measure will be viewed by the government as making a good-faith effort to avert discrimination in wellness programs.

Robust Company Wellness Programs are still relatively new to corporate America and the legal implications of implementation and enforcement are not totally known. By their very nature, these programs potentially expose employers to discrimination lawsuits, disengaged workers and detrimental public relations. Still, employers that make a good-faith effort to comply with current Medical Care-related laws, discover ways to involve workers, and communicate strategically, will be able to minimize these risks while finding plenty of room to develop a creative and effective Company Wellness Program.

For many corporations, a smoking ban would not even apply to all staff members. That is because currently 30 states and the District of Columbia prevent corporations from banning off-duty smoking.21 In Addition, 13 states prevent corporations from banning alcohol use away from work. Only six states have broad statutes that prevent corporations from prohibiting any lawful behavior. Michigan is the only state that expressly prohibits discrimination on the basis of weight, however the cities of San Francisco and Santa Cruz, Calif., also have this provision (San Francisco makes exceptions for police offi cers, fi refi ghters and the San Francisco 49ers football team). When designing Worksite Health Promotion Programs, corporations must keep in mind local statutes as well as established common law.

Savings of Voluntary Company Health Promotion Program = (number of participants x savings per participant) – (expense of program)
Savings of Incentive-based Company Health Promotion Program = (number of participants x savings per participant) – (expense of program + expense of incentives)
Savings of Mandatory Worksite Wellness Program = (number of participants x savings per participant) – (cost of program + cost of policy-related turnover + cost of limited talent pool)

Constructing Employee Health Promotion Program policies in a business that employs unionized workers can pose unique challenges. Employee Health Promotion Programs may be perceived by some unions as a condition of employment and therefore would be subject to collective bargaining between the parties. Nonetheless this circumstance can represent an opportunity for both groups, as a policy agreed upon between union leadership and management is likely to be received more favorably by workers. The United Auto Employees and General Motors worked together to create and position a joint Employee Health Promotion Program which has successfully reached more than 800,000 participants. (See Case Studies, UAWGeneral Motors LifeSteps Employee Health Promotion Program, p.21).