Company Health and Wellness : Workplace Health Promotion Program Rules

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

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

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

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

Organizations need to make sure that Worksite Health Promotion 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 conduct. Moreover, a work environment with a sizable disengaged population will likely have poor participation in a voluntarybased program. When calculating cost savings, organizations need to take a wider view and consider the effects on long-term employee engagement.

In 2005, Michigan-based insurance benefits provider Weyco instituted a smoking ban for all of its nearly 200 staff members. Employees 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 organization to use testing to enforce a smoking ban – most companies ask staff members to self-report behavior. Four staff members (more than 2% of the total crew) left Weyco as a result of the policy. A year prior to the ban the organization started 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 Employees were told they had one year before the total ban would go into effect. Under the new Company Health Promotion 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 objectives and goals.