Penalize Fat Employees?
Congress is seriously considering proposals to provide tax credits or other subsidies to employers who offer wellness programs that meet federal criteria. In addition, lawmakers said they would make it easier for employers to use financial rewards or penalties to promote healthy behavior among employees.
Two Democratic senators working on comprehensive health legislation, Max Baucus of Montana, the chairman of the Finance Committee, and Tom Harkin of Iowa, have taken the lead in devising such incentives.
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Critics say that holding people financially responsible for their health behavior is potentially unfair and that employers have no business prying into their employees’ private lives.
Lewis Maltby, president of the National Workrights Institute, a research and advocacy group, said financial rewards and penalties were often a form of lifestyle discrimination. “You are supposed to be paid on the basis of how you do your job, not how often you go to the gym or how many cheeseburgers you eat,” Mr. Maltby said.
I applaud this move, so long as Congress does not impose regulations limiting employers' discretion in giving rewards and imposing penalties. Employer's should be able to charge fat employees more for their health insurance or even to fire fat people. There are way too many fat people around where I live already, and this might motivate some of them to stop being so lazy.
If it works, though, it'll make the Social Security problem even worse.
Being fat today is what smoking was 15 years ago. And look where smokers have come in the last 15 years. It's something the fat readers of this forum should consider.
So says Clyde.
P.S. If you respond negatively to this post, everybody will know you're fat.
Last edited by ClydeR; 05-15-2009 at 04:13 PM.
Reason: Add P.S.
There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.
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Originally Posted by ClydeR
