Health Handouts : Company Health Promotion Program Rules

Unless specifically stated otherwise, most business-employee relationships in the United States are governed by the principle of at-will employment. Under this system a business, or the employee, can terminate the relationship without any needed showing of cause. This at-will standard gives private employers substantial power in governing the behavior of workers. In this environment, employers can Finding Wealth Through Wellness 10 creatively design Employee Wellness Programs based upon their specifi c corporate culture. Employee Wellness Programs generally take three main forms:

Voluntary Worksite Health Promotion Programs – The most popular form of employee Worksite Health Promotion Program, in most cases they are made available to staff members but participation (or lack thereof) is not linked to any type of consequence. Due to ineffective communication, often staff members are either unaware of these offerings or confuse them with insurance-based health care. Incentive-based – Worksite Health Promotion Programs based on incentives reward staff members for participation in Worksite Health Promotion Program activities. Incentives usually cover reduced Medical Care premiums, fitness center membership or personalized support offerings. In these programs, employees’ behavior can be linked to a particular reward.

Mandatory Company Health Promotion Programs – Some organizations require, or ban, certain health-related conduct. These can take the form of mandatory Health Risk Assessments for staff members and restrictions on smoking or alcohol use. While mandating behavior is an effective method to eliminate high-risk behavior, the cost savings must be measured against the potential message sent to existing and prospective staff members. Given that staff members are already under various levels of scrutiny in the workplace, individuals may resist attempts by organizations to regulate off-duty conduct. In Addition, some staff members may fi nd it diffi cult to comply, forcing organizations into the uncomfortable postion of punishing an otherwise constructive employee.

In the short-term a mandate-based Employee Wellness Program can lead to an increase in turnover, as staff members either choose to leave or are fi red for noncompliance. In the long-term, the policy may prevent the organization from hiring an otherwise qualifi ed applicant, or may serve as a deterrent for individuals thinking of the organization. Limits in recruiting, for instance, led CNN to rescind a 13-year ban on hiring smokers.18

Employers need to make sure that Corporate Wellness Programs are aligned with the values and culture that guide company operations. If a company emphasizes trust and individual responsibility, then a mandate-based program will likely cause more dissension than it would in a company that already heavily regulates company behaviors. Moreover, a work environment with a big disengaged population will likely have poor participation in a voluntarybased program. When calculating cost savings, businesses need to take a wider view and consider the effects on long-term employee program engagement.

In 2005, Michigan-based insurance benefits provider Weyco instituted a smoking ban for all of its nearly 200 staff members. Workers are subject to random testing and if they fail a mandatory breathalyzer test, they will be fi red. It is believed that Weyco is the first business to use testing to enforce a smoking ban – most employers ask staff members to self-report behavior. Four staff members (more than 2% of the total workforce) left Weyco as a result of the policy. A year prior to the ban the business implemented a $50 smoking fee, which would be waived if a employee passed a nicotine test or agreed to take a smokingcessation class. Weyco’s president Howard Weyers reported that 20 staff members quit smoking through this program.20 Workers were told they had one year before the total ban would go into effect. Under the new Workplace Wellness Program, Weyco does offer $35 a month for staff members who want to use a fi tness center and another $65 a month for staff members who meet fitness goals and objectives.