Where to Draw the Line on Workplace Wellness Incentives

Workplace wellness programs that financially incentivize employees may become even more controversial in 2019, as several court rulings have cast uncertainty over what is the appropriate limit for such incentives that employers can offer, reports Kaiser Health News . The dollar amount is a contentious issue as it raises questions about when the incentives become so high that employees feel they have no option but to participate. "You and I can look at the same incentive and you will find it's truly voluntary and I would say, given my financial circumstances, I feel I'm being compelled," says attorney Tom Luetkemeyer. Consequently, workers may find programs offer smaller incentives, while programs might give employees options for qualifying for those incentives. In one court ruling, the judge noted the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which in 2016 stipulated that a 30 percent amount is the limit for employer wellness incentives, failed to justify for how it settled on that percentage. A 2017 Kaiser Family Foundation survey found 85 percent of large employers offering health insurance included a wellness program to help people quit smoking, lose weight, or take other healthful actions. Slightly more than 50 percent of those included medical screening. Rewards or incentives to participate vary, with the most common being gift cards, fitness trackers or other merchandise, or discounts on workers' health insurance coverage.