Karla Grossenbacher Quoted in the Washington Post regarding Mandatory Wellness Programs

“Now the Stick: Workers Pay for Poor Health Habits”

Karla Grossenbacher was quoted in the article, “Now the Stick: Workers Pay for Poor Health Habits,” published November 13, 2007 in the Washington Post. The article takes a look at wellness programs in which employers both provide incentives for their employees’ participation and programs that some employers are implementing to penalize employees for unhealthy off-work behavior, such as smoking.

Karla points out that employers who want to use the stick method of penalizing employees for their unhealthy habits need to pay close attention to their risk exposure under such federal laws as the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as the local labor laws in each jurisdiction where they have employees. Karla notes that Washington, D.C., for example, bans discrimination against employees for their physical appearance, which some may argue could include obesity.