Employee Wellness Programs Require Government Compliance
As wellness programs continue to increase in popularity as a means to keep health care costs under control, more employers are conducting health risk assessments to better understand their employees’ health risks. This is a logical first step—employers can’t know what health issues to focus on in their wellness program if they don’t have a firm understanding of the health of their employee population. However, employers who conduct risk assessments need to be aware how their process might be constrained by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA).
Figuring out how to get the best participation from your employees is a little tricky considering the provisions of the ADA and GINA. While the laws governing health risk assessments might seem complicated, they shouldn’t stop employers from relying on risk assessments as the foundation of their wellness program. By taking some time to understand the role that the ADA and GINA play, employers can rest assured that they are collecting employees’ information legally. With that peace of mind, they can move on to designing a wellness program that truly addresses the biggest health threats facing their employees. After all, it’s that kind of customized program that will have the biggest return on investment in the long run.
From keeping it voluntary, to maintaining compliance with GINA and other federal regulations, employers can still get an understanding of the health of their employee population with great clarity.
More information from The Society for Human Resource Management.