Employee Wellness Plans : Employee Wellness Program Local Considerations

For many organizations, a smoking ban would not even apply to all employees. That is because currently 30 states and the District of Columbia prevent organizations from banning off-duty smoking.21 In Addition, 13 states prevent organizations from banning alcohol use away from work. Only six states have broad statutes that prevent organizations 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 beginning Employee Health Promotion Programs, organizations must keep in mind local statutes as well as established common law.

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

Constructing Workplace Health Promotion Program policies in a employer that employs unionized staff members can pose unique challenges. Workplace 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. Still this postion 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 staff members. The United Auto Workers and General Motors worked together to create and position a joint Workplace Health Promotion Program which has successfully reached more than 800,000 participants. (See Case Studies, UAWGeneral Motors LifeSteps Workplace Health Promotion Program, p.21).