Employee Health Promotion

Is It Necessary to Incent Businesses to Initiate Employee Health Promotion Programs?

Wellness rewards may seem like an effective way to get employees excited about Employee Health Promotion Program – but is it wise?

This helps and encourages businesses to understand the importance of maintaining a healthy staff members, not only for the welfare of its employees, but as well as the welfare of the corporate bottom line … then, yes, it could be necessary.

Tax Breaks as Wellness rewards

In 2007, two senators decided to band together to create the “Healthy Workforce Act.” This act is designed to encourage businesses to keep employees healthy and prevent disease. The senators believed that having a country focused on “well care” versus “sick care” would decrease the overall costs of health care for everyone. They decided to start with America’s staff members.

The legislation, introduced by Oregon Senator Gordon Smith and Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, states that businesses would receive a Wellness reward – a fifty percent tax credit – if they offer to their employees a Employee Health Promotion Program that meets the following criteria:

1) A health education and awareness component, which could include Health risk assessments and Health Screenings.

2) A behavioral change component – such as counseling, seminars, or self-help materials to empower employees to lead healthier lifestyles.

3) A supportive environment component – including providing meaningful rewards to participating employees, such as a reduction in health premiums or allowing employees to engage in walking Employee Health Promotion Programs during the workday.

4) The creation of an employee engagement committee – which would tailor the Employee Health Promotion Program to the needs of the staff members at a particular corporation.

If this law gets passed, many businesses will be scrambling to offer Employee Health Promotion Programs in hopes of receiving the Wellness rewards.