cnn.com— Almost a third of companies offering health insurance benefits to their employees also provide a wellness program of some sort.
Jul 1, 2008View in Crawl 4
Rewarding healthy employees is one thing - firing or refusing to hire people that a company classifies as higher risk is quite another. Today it's smokers. Tomorrow it's overweight people. Then it's drinkers. Then, how about, say, meat eaters? People who engage in "dangerous" activities outside of work (rock climbing, auto racing, etc.) or drive less safe vehicles like motorcycles might someday be targeted. Do you really want employers to penalize you for considerations beyond how you perform on the job? If you think it's OK for companies to target THEM (smokers), don't be surprised in the future when they target YOU or someone you love. Don't think it will happen? Just wait.
My friend's company is trying to make their employees healthier to save money on insurance costs. The problem is they are doing it in an Orwellian manner. They are requiring their employees to complete questionnaires that ask what they eat, drink what medications they take, what time they go to bed at night, how much they watch TV, how much stress they feel, and how much exercise they get. If they refuse to complete the questionnaire then they have to pay a higher price for their insurance even though it is not costing the company higher rates to insure them. Frankly it is no one's business what I eat or drink, when I go to sleep and what medications I am on.
If it doesn't affect their work and they're not high at work and I can't tell that they do meth then I don't really care... Yes, I wish they wouldn't do it for the sake of their own health... but not for my benefit, it doesn't affect me if they're not high around me.
But they had no problem hiring me when I weighed #310 only to start weighing us 3 years later, I'm sure that that OSHA regulation existed in the 3 years prior in which I'd been unsafely climbing ladders....guess they just didn't care then.
It is a good thing for companies to 'encourage' fitness and start programs to help employees stay fit. It does not matter how smart you are if you cannot take care of yourself, the company loses.
bobmysteriosoJul 2, 2008
looks like someone is riding in the whaaambulance.
h3smithJul 2, 2008
Gym memberships should be tax deductible, that is for damned sure.
dangermouse9Jul 2, 2008
You're a paranoid f**king moron.
mnocketJul 2, 2008
Rewarding healthy employees is one thing - firing or refusing to hire people that a company classifies as higher risk is quite another. Today it's smokers. Tomorrow it's overweight people. Then it's drinkers. Then, how about, say, meat eaters? People who engage in "dangerous" activities outside of work (rock climbing, auto racing, etc.) or drive less safe vehicles like motorcycles might someday be targeted. Do you really want employers to penalize you for considerations beyond how you perform on the job? If you think it's OK for companies to target THEM (smokers), don't be surprised in the future when they target YOU or someone you love. Don't think it will happen? Just wait.
csimondsJul 2, 2008
My friend's company is trying to make their employees healthier to save money on insurance costs. The problem is they are doing it in an Orwellian manner. They are requiring their employees to complete questionnaires that ask what they eat, drink what medications they take, what time they go to bed at night, how much they watch TV, how much stress they feel, and how much exercise they get. If they refuse to complete the questionnaire then they have to pay a higher price for their insurance even though it is not costing the company higher rates to insure them. Frankly it is no one's business what I eat or drink, when I go to sleep and what medications I am on.
bonestampJul 2, 2008
If it doesn't affect their work and they're not high at work and I can't tell that they do meth then I don't really care... Yes, I wish they wouldn't do it for the sake of their own health... but not for my benefit, it doesn't affect me if they're not high around me.
slim689Jul 3, 2008
Fat People FTL...
pahtcubJul 4, 2008
But they had no problem hiring me when I weighed #310 only to start weighing us 3 years later, I'm sure that that OSHA regulation existed in the 3 years prior in which I'd been unsafely climbing ladders....guess they just didn't care then.
novacheeseJul 4, 2008
It is a good thing for companies to 'encourage' fitness and start programs to help employees stay fit. It does not matter how smart you are if you cannot take care of yourself, the company loses.