AARP Eye Center
Divided We Fail Throws Weight Behind "Healthy Workforce Act"
By Alejandra Owens, February 13, 2008 11:37 AM
Today, AARP CEO Bill Novelli, Business Roundtable President John Castellani, SEIU President Andy Stern and NFIB President and CEO Todd Stottlemyer announced that their organizations - which collectively represent more than 53 million Americans and together make up Divided We Fail - would be pushing for a new bill that gives business a tax credit if they provide their employees tools to get and stay healthy.
The legislation is called the "Healthy Workforce Act: and was introduced today by the bipartisan team of Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Gordon Smith (R-OR). If passed, the law would give the credit to business that offered programs containing at least three of the following elements:
* Health awareness/education - including assessments and preventive screenings;
* Behavioral change - including counseling, seminars or self-help materials;
* Supportive environment- including health premium reductions or daytime exercise options; and
* Employee engagement- to tailor the program to the needs of the company's workforce
To learn more, visit www.dividedwefail.org.