Ep 67- EEOC Changes to GINA and Workplace Wellness Programs

Ep 67: How EEOC Changes Impact GINA and Work Wellness Programs with Casey Sipe (@clsemployerlaw)

Very quietly, the EEOC made some announcements and updates regarding the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act or GINA. Our resident Blogging4Jobs employment attorney, Casey Sipe returns to talk about the changes to GINA, how it impacts HR and workplace wellness programs.

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 and another set of proposed changes regarding how employers monitor, manage and recognize company wellness programs. Casey walks us through the proposed changes and how they impact your employee wellness programs as well as incentive programs you provide your employees if they participate.

What Is An Employee or Workplace Wellness Program

The EEOC defines a company, workplace or employee wellness program as programs and activities typically offered through employer-provided health plans as a means to help employees improve health and reduce healthcare costs. Some wellness programs ask employees to engage in healthier behavior (for example, by becoming more active, not smoking, or eating better), while other programs obtain medical information from employees by asking them to complete a health risk assessment (HRA) or undergo biometric screening for risk factors (such as high blood pressure or cholesterol). Casey helps spell out the changes proposed by the EEOC along with information surrounding how it impacts GINA, ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), company healthcare insurance as well as HIPAA requirements for HR and employers.

Casey says the changes were missed by employers due to the proposed changes regarding the FLSA. He suggests taking a look at the changes as outlined in the podcast as well as the resources we provided links to below from the EEOC. You can connect with Casey Sipe on LinkedIn.