Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Employee incentives can bring about improved wellness outcomes — if the goals are adequately tailored to the organization and the individual. Depending on the company culture, you could take the “little league” approach of “everybody wins,” or decide to “raise the bar,” said Brendan Kerrigan, senior vice president of PayFlex. But setting the bar too […]
Self-funded companies can do a lot to improve employee health through wellness programs and creating “micro health delivery systems” (my term) with goals tailored to the firm’s employee population. The catch may be that only employers that are very large, very innovative and want to get very involved in health care may be able do […]
Employers — and employees — may find wellness benefits an even more welcome offering, a recent study suggests. A Quest Diagnostics study found that more than 1 out of 3 employees who took employer-sponsored lab-based wellness tests were unaware they were at high risk for a serious medical condition. The study, Value of Laboratory Tests […]
Most U.S. workers are either obese or suffering from at least one chronic condition, which costs employers $153 billion in lost productivity, says a new Gallup-Healthways survey. That’s the bad news. The good news is employers can take steps to lighten their workforce, and I’ll provide a refresher on some of those steps later below. […]
If a plan participant needs a special diet that costs more than an ordinary, everyday diet, or had to have a hearing aid repaired, he or she can deduct those expenses. Specially Prepared Foods In Information Letter 2011-0035, the IRS said that if an individual consumes a special diet for medical reasons, the amount by […]
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) once again refused to a take a position on whether employers may use financial incentives to encourage employee participation in wellness programs — without violating the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). In an informal opinion letter from the EEOC’s Office of Legal Counsel, the commission assured employers that […]
Health reform has got women covered. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in rules implementing the reform law’s mandate, has enumerated a host of preventive services for women that (non-grandfathered) insurers and plans must cover the services consistent with the rules, without cost sharing, in the first plan year that begins on […]
In giving SHRM attendees four tips to promote healthy living among employees to help them lose weight, I’m sure corporate health strategist Adam Bordes was aware that many attending his session, “Lighten Up: Daily Strategies for a Lighter, Healthier Workplace” will be using these steps themselves – I certainly will. Bordes’ tips can be divided […]
Weight loss is the most searched term on Google, says corporate health strategist Adam Bordes, and similarly, helping employees lose weight is the most sought-after goal of corporate wellness programs. In “Lighten Up: Daily Strategies for a Lighter, Healthier Workplace,” he gave SHRM attendees several steps to help employees trim fat from their waistlines. Bordes, […]
Your wellness program is going well, with happier and healthier employees. But then, an employee sues the company alleging that the wellness program violates his rights. So your employees are healthier, but your company’s pocketbook is not in the best of condition, as it puts out money for legal fees. Do not let this happen […]