[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 228 (Friday, November 27, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74110-74111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30132]



[[Page 74110]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-16-16FG; Docket No. CDC-2015-0109]


Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice with comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part 
of its continuing efforts to reduce public burden and maximize the 
utility of government information, invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or 
continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on Workplace Health 
In America, a nationally representative survey of employer-based 
workplace health programs to describe the current state of U.S. 
workplace health promotion and protection programs and practices in 
employers of all sizes, industries and regions.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before January 26, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2015-
0109 by any of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: Regulation.gov. Follow the instructions 
for submitting comments.
    Mail: Leroy A. Richardson, Information Collection Review Office, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE., MS-
D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and Docket Number. All relevant comments received will be posted 
without change to Regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided. For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to Regulations.gov.

    Please note:  All public comment should be submitted through the 
Federal eRulemaking portal (Regulations.gov) or by U.S. mail to the 
address listed above.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan 
and instruments, contact the Information Collection Review Office, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE., MS-
D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; phone: 404-639-7570; Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal agencies must obtain approval from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of 
information they conduct or sponsor. In addition, the PRA also requires 
Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register 
concerning each proposed collection of information, including each new 
proposed collection, each proposed extension of existing collection of 
information, and each reinstatement of previously approved information 
collection before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To 
comply with this requirement, we are publishing this notice of a 
proposed data collection as described below.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology; and (e) estimates of capital or start-
up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services 
to provide information. Burden means the total time, effort, or 
financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, 
disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. This 
includes the time needed to review instructions; to develop, acquire, 
install and utilize technology and systems for the purpose of 
collecting, validating and verifying information, processing and 
maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; to 
train personnel and to be able to respond to a collection of 
information, to search data sources, to complete and review the 
collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise disclose the 
information.

Proposed Project

    Workplace Health In America--New--National Center for Chronic 
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    The health of a workplace and its workers are inextricably linked. 
Ideally, workplaces not only protect the safety and wellbeing of 
employees but also provide them opportunities for better long-term 
health and enhanced quality of life. Effective workplace programs, 
policies, and environments that are health-focused and worker-centered 
have the potential to significantly benefit employers, employees, their 
families, and communities. As the nation's premier public health 
agency, the CDC helps protect the health and safety of all people in 
our schools, communities, homes and workplaces through prevention. The 
workplace can specifically protect and promote health through programs, 
policies, and practices that have the potential of reaching millions of 
workers, retirees, and their families.
    Increasing health care costs and decreasing health-related 
productivity are leading American businesses to examine strategies to 
improve employee health and contain health costs that are largely 
driven by chronic diseases and related lifestyle choices. Employers are 
recognizing the role they can play in creating a healthy work 
environment and providing their employees with opportunities to make 
healthy lifestyle choices. They increasingly look to CDC and other 
public health experts for guidance and solutions to combat the effects 
of chronic diseases on their employees and businesses. Workplace health 
programs not only benefit individual employees but also make good 
business sense.
    Although a number of national and local level studies and surveys 
have been conducted over the past 25 years examining aspects of 
workplace health promotion and protection programs, there has not been, 
to date, a systematic and ongoing effort to document the evidenced-
based and best practice strategies and interventions at the individual 
employee and organizational level that comprise a comprehensive 
workplace health program from a nationally representative sample of 
employers. Workplace Health in America is authorized by the Public 
Health Service Act and funded through the Prevention and Public Health 
Fund of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). CDC has 
developed the Workplace Health in America survey program to describe 
the current state of U.S. workplace health promotion and protection 
programs and practices in employers of all sizes, industries and 
regions. National worksite health promotion experts, employers, and

[[Page 74111]]

content experts from the CDC advised on the survey content. Items from 
existing, validated surveys were used whenever possible. The survey 
contains yes/no, multiple choice and a small number of open-ended 
items.
    The Workplace Health in America survey is designed to collect 
information about: Basic organizational characteristics; employer-
sponsored health insurance; health risk assessments; staffing and other 
resources devoted to employee health and safety programming; 
incentives; work-life policies and benefits; availability of health 
screenings and disease management programs; occupational safety and 
health programs. The survey items also cover the presence of evidence-
based and other health promotion programs, policies and supports 
related to physical activity; nutrition; weight; tobacco; excess 
alcohol use and drug abuse; lactation and prenatal support; 
musculoskeletal disorders, arthritis and back pain; stress; and sleep.
    CDC seeks to request Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
approval. The information that is collected is intended to build an 
infrastructure supporting ongoing surveillance to evaluate national 
workplace health priorities (e.g., Healthy People), monitor trends, and 
address emerging issues; provide free and accessible benchmarking data 
for employers and other stakeholders in workplace health promotion and 
protection; provide a better understanding of employer practices to 
inform the development of tools and resources to support the design, 
implementation, and evaluation of employer-based workplace health 
programs; and advance workplace health promotion and protection 
research.
    To achieve these aims, CDC has developed an infrastructure for this 
initial effort that can be expanded for future iterations of data 
collection. CDC has designed a process to select a nationally 
representative sample of worksites representing employers in all size 
categories, industry sectors, and CDC regions. The data collection 
platform was developed to collect information primarily by online 
survey or telephone assisted interview, and can be easily modified to 
accommodate additional survey modules. CDC has also created a 
dissemination plan to ensure the data and results can be used by 
employers and other stakeholders beyond the research community. Planned 
dissemination products include webinars to employer groups, an online 
dashboard for employers to benchmark their programs against other 
employers with comparable characteristics, and brief reports tailored 
to employers of different sizes.
    OMB approval is requested for two years. CDC estimates that a total 
8,085 employers will complete the Workplace Health in America survey. 
Participation is voluntary and there are no costs to respondents other 
than their time.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                        Number of    Average burden     Total
      Type of respondents            Form name          Number of     responses per   per response    burden (in
                                                       respondents     respondent       (in hrs.)       hrs.)
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Wellness/HR representative....  Screening and                11,684               1           15/60        2,921
                                 Recruiting call.
                                Workplace Health in           4,043               1           40/60        2,695
                                 America Survey.
                                                    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................  ...................  ..............  ..............  ..............        5,616
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Leroy A. Richardson,
Chief, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of the Associate Director for Science, Office of the 
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2015-30132 Filed 11-25-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P