[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 673 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 673

Recognizing the importance of workplace wellness as a strategy to help 
               maximize employees' health and well being.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

           September 22 (legislative day, September 17), 2008

    Mr. Harkin (for himself and Mr. Smith) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing the importance of workplace wellness as a strategy to help 
               maximize employees' health and well being.

Whereas comprehensive, culturally sensitive health promotion within the 
        workplace is essential to maintain and improve the health of American 
        workers;
Whereas employees who improve their health also reduce their probability of 
        chronic health conditions, lower their out-of-pocket medical and 
        pharmaceutical costs, reduce pain and suffering, have greater levels of 
        energy and vitality, and experience increased satisfaction with their 
        lives and jobs;
Whereas health care costs in the United States doubled from 1990 to 2001 and are 
        expected to double again by 2012;
Whereas employee health benefits are the fastest growing labor cost component 
        for employers, thus posing a serious and growing challenge to business 
        in the United States;
Whereas business leaders are struggling to find strategies to help reduce the 
        direct costs of employer-provided health care, as well as the indirect 
        costs associated with higher rates of absenteeism, disability, and 
        injury;
Whereas an effective strategy to address the primary driving force of soaring 
        health care costs requires an investment in prevention;
Whereas some employers who invest in health promotion and disease prevention 
        have achieved rates of return on investment ranging from $3 to $15 for 
        each dollar invested, as well as a 28 percent average reduction in sick 
        leave absenteeism, an average 26 percent reduction in health care costs, 
        and a 30 percent average reduction in workers' compensation and 
        disability management claims costs;
Whereas the Healthy People 2010 national objectives for the United States 
        include the workplace health-related goal that at least \3/4\ of United 
        States employers, regardless of size, will voluntarily offer a 
        comprehensive employee health promotion program that includes--(1) 
        health education and programming which focuses on skill development and 
        lifestyle behavior change along with information dissemination and 
        awareness building, preferably tailored to employees' interests and 
        needs; (2) supportive social and physical environments, including an 
        organization's expectations regarding healthy behaviors, and 
        implementation of policies that promote health and reduce risk of 
        disease; (3) integration of the worksite wellness programs into the 
        organization's structure; (4) linkage to related programs like employee 
        assistance programs (EAPs) and programs to help employees balance work 
        and family; and (5) screening programs, ideally linked to medical care 
        to ensure follow-up and appropriate treatment as necessary;
Whereas employers should be encouraged to invest in the health of employees by 
        implementing comprehensive worksite health promotion programs that will 
        help achieve our national Healthy People 2010 objectives;
Whereas business leaders that have made a healthy workforce a part of their core 
        business strategy should be encouraged to share information and 
        resources to educate their peers on the issue of employee health 
        management through initiatives such as the Leading by Example CEO-to-CEO 
        Roundtable on Workforce Health and the United States Workplace Wellness 
        Alliance;
Whereas the employers that provide health care coverage for more than 
        177,000,000 Americans have the potential to exert transformative 
        leadership on this issue by increasing the number, quality, and types of 
        health promotion programs and policies at worksites across the Nation;
Whereas, for workplace wellness efforts to reach their full potential, chief 
        executive officers of major corporations, company presidents of small 
        enterprises, and State governors should be encouraged to make worksite 
        health promotion a priority; and
Whereas Congress supports the National Worksite Health Promotion goal as stated 
        in Healthy People 2010 and encourages public employers to increase their 
        awareness of the value of corporate investments in employee health 
        management to help our Nation achieve this goal: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate calls on private and public employers to 
support workplace wellness and implement voluntarily worksite health 
promotion programs to help maximize employees' health and well being 
and lower health care costs.
                                 <all>