[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 154 (Friday, September 26, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H10117]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    NATIONAL WORKPLACE WELLNESS WEEK

  Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Education and Labor be discharged from further consideration of the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 405) recognizing the first full 
week of April as ``National Workplace Wellness Week,'' and ask for its 
immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  The text of the House concurrent resolution is as follows:

       Whereas comprehensive, culturally sensitive health 
     promotion within the workplace is essential to maintain and 
     improve United States workers' health, as a significant part 
     of a working citizen's day is spent at work;
       Whereas employees who improve their health 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, and pose a serious and 
     growing challenge for U.S. business competitiveness;
       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, presenteeism, disability, and injury;
       Whereas an effective strategy to address the primary driver 
     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 an average 28-percent reduction in sick leave 
     absenteeism, an average 26-percent reduction in health care 
     costs, and an average 30-percent 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 three-quarters of United States employers, 
     regardless of size, voluntarily will offer a 5-element 
     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 program 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 employers that provide health care coverage for 
     more than 177,000,000 United States citizens 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, CEOs 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 during the first full week of April each year: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of a National Workplace 
     Wellness Week and calls on private and public employers to 
     voluntarily implement worksite health promotion programs to 
     help maximize employees health, well-being, and lower health 
     care costs; and
       (2) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
     calling upon the people of the United States and interested 
     organizations to observe such a week with appropriate 
     ceremonies and activities.

  The concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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