Wellness incentives
Is It Necessary to Incent Organizations to Initiate Workplace Health Promotion Programs?
Wellness incentives may seem like an effective way to get workers excited about Workplace Health Promotion Program – but is it smart?
This helps and encourages businesses to understand the importance of maintaining a healthy staff members, not only for the welfare of its workers, but as well as the welfare of the corporate bottom line … then, yes, it could be necessary.
Tax Breaks as Wellness incentives
In 2007, two senators decided to band together to create the “Healthy Workforce Act.” This act is designed to encourage businesses to keep workers 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 Iowa Senator Tom Harkin and Oregon Senator Gordon Smith, states that businesses would receive a Wellness incentive – a fifty percent tax credit – if they provide to their workers a Workplace Health Promotion Program that meets the following criteria:
1) A health education and awareness component, which could include Health risk assessments and Health Testings.
2) A behavioral change component – such as counseling, seminars, or self-help materials to empower workers to lead healthier lifestyles.
3) A supportive environment component – including offering meaningful incentives to taking part in workers, such as a reduction in health premiums or allowing workers to engage in walking Workplace Health Promotion Programs during the workday.
4) The creation of an staff member engagement committee – which would tailor the Workplace Health Promotion Program to the needs of the staff members at a particular business.
If this law gets passed, many businesses will be scrambling to provide Workplace Health Promotion Programs in hopes of receiving the Wellness incentives.
