NEWS UPDATE

Can Boss Insist on Healthy Habits?

The company, Weyco Medical Benefits, is making nationwide news by firing employees who refuse to quit smoking.  “The cost of healthcare is frustrating everybody, and we believe at Weyco that we have to heal ourselves,” says Howard Weyers, company president and founder.  “We think it’s vital.”

This attitude is gaining resonance as more American companies try to convince employees to watch their health.  Employees are being told to shape up, pay up or be fired, including those that are overweight, out of shape, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or chronic diseases such as diabetes. 

Bosses are telling workers to take part in preventive wellness programs - a nutrition class, for example - or face higher premiums.  Mila Kofman, assistant research  professor at Georgetown University Health Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. states: “Employers can require you to participate in health programs.”

Company employees with health conditions such as obesity will automatically get socked with higher insurance premiums unless they agree to take part in wellness programs.  Dr. Don Bradley, Executive Medical Director, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, says that “Folks respond far better to carrots than they do to sticks, so the secret here is to keep this an incentive rather than a punishment.”

Atlanta employment attorney, Glenn Patton, points out that “Generally speaking there is no law that prohibits an employer from saying, ‘You look about 15-20 pounds too heavy, you’re fired!”