Is It Necessary to Incent Businesses to Initiate Company Health & Wellness Initiatives?
Company Health & Wellness Incentives may seem like an effective way to get staff members excited about Employee Health Promotion – but is it wise?
This helps and encourages businesses to understand the importance of maintaining a healthy workers, not only for the welfare of its staff members, but as well as the welfare of the corporate bottom line … then, yes, it could be necessary.
Tax Breaks as Company Health & 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 staff members healthy and prevent disease. The senators believed that having a country focused on “well care” versus “sick care” would decrease the overall costs of medical care for everyone. They decided to start with America’s workers.
The legislation, introduced by Iowa Senator Tom Harkin and Oregon Senator Gordon Smith, states that corporations would receive a Company Health & Wellness incentive – a fifty percent tax credit – if they offer to their staff members a Company Health & Wellness Initiative 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 staff members to lead healthier lifestyles.
3) A supportive environment component – including offering meaningful incentives to participating staff members, such as a reduction in medical premiums or allowing staff members to engage in walking wellness during the workday.
4) The creation of an worker engagement committee – which would tailor the Company Health & Wellness Initiative to the needs of the workers at a particular company.
If this law gets passed, many businesses will be scrambling to offer Company Health & Wellness Initiatives in hopes of receiving the Company Health & Wellness Incentives.
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