Introduction
Employers should penalize employees for unhealthy behaviors. The thesis follows the observation that many health conditions that employees experience result from their ignorance when it comes to maintaining healthy behaviors. For instance, conditions such as for overweight or smoking result from an individual’s choice of lifestyle. Such conditions have a negative impact on an employee’s performance in the workplace. Since the beginning of the millennium, the cost of healthcare has increased by 87% in the United States. Employers have borne the consequences of these increased health costs where they are now forced to contribute more towards insuring their employees. In the same period, cases of unhealthy behaviors have increased significantly. In addition to the increased health care costs, such cases have pushed employers to the extreme to the extent of calling for measures to mitigate the spiraling health care costs. Measures that have been put in place by employers include the penalization of employees to ensure that they are accountable for their health. Many of the emerging diseases that are chronic lifestyle sicknesses such as smoking or overweight complications, which when detected early or controlled through good health behavior, pose little risk to workers and their employers. Many employers are now calling upon individuals to adopt healthy living, failure to which they will be held responsible for their ignorance in adopting good health behaviors. However, the issue of penalizing employers for unhealthy behavior is highly contentious and hence the reason why it forms the basis of this research.
Research Paper
The penalization of employees for their unhealthy behaviors is one of the suggestions that are expected to make them responsible for their health matters. The primary debate behind this option is that many of the health conditions that have become prevalent are highly preventable through healthy living. This paper discusses why employers should penalize employees for their unhealthy behaviors. To support the above claim, the paper uses arguments such as the increased cost of health care, the rising cases of unhealthy behaviors, and the role of penalties as motivators for adopting healthy behaviors.
The Increased Cost of Health Care
The rising cost of health services has forced employers to adopt the penalization strategy to dissuade workers from engaging in unhealthy behaviors. According to Meredith et al. (2014), the cost of healthcare has increased drastically over the years by 87% since 2000. In this case, for an organization that has a high number of unhealthy employees, the costs towards their health care needs take a large chunk of the company’s financial resources. Workers who have unhealthy behaviors are more likely to seek health care services. This situation leads to further costs that the companies’ bosses have to incur. For instance, smokers incur more health care costs relative to non-smokers. Abelson (2011) reveals that smokers pay USD$17,500 more than nonsmokers do in health care overheads in their lifetime. Further, smokers are likely to fall ill with serious ailments such as respiratory problems and cancer, which are very costly to treat. Another example of unhealthy behaviors can be manifested through increased obesity in the United States and across the world. The increment is a crucial indicator of unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise. Apart from being likely to visit healthcare facilities, obese people also spent USD$1,429 more in health care costs relative to healthy people (Cauchi, 2015; Lezzoni et al., 2014). Further, obesity costs US companies more than USD$ 13 billion (Meredith et al., 2014). The management of chronic illnesses has become a major issue of health concern across the world due to the costs that go towards their management. The increased prevalence of chronic illnesses has augmented the demand for healthcare, which has driven the cost of health care even higher.
Cases of Unhealthy Behaviors are on the Rise
Employers have adopted the penalization strategy because most of the health complications that they are forced to compensate for result from employees’ choice of behavior. Remaining healthy is a lifestyle, which should begin from an early age. Many people no longer exercise or do activities that can promote fitness (Pearson & Lieber, 2009). Despite them knowing the benefits of healthy living, the commitment of people to joining and maintaining wellness plans is lacking. The increased unhealthy behaviors have been aided by the availability of unhealthy foods that people now prefer to what would be recommended as healthy meals (Schmidt, 2013). The consumption of junk foods has become a central part of today’s meals as evidenced through the increased fast-food restaurants that are reaping billions of dollars through the sale of such food products. These unhealthy foods are high in calories and fats, which contribute to increased weight and obesity among other unhealthy conditions. Overeating is also another significant issue, which is on the increase, despite it being extremely controllable (Clayton & Vanderkam, 2006). The habit is increasingly leading to weight issues. In other words, despite the fact that the consequences of unhealthy living are well known, the zeal to lead a normal and healthy life is lacking. It suffices to let the affected people pay for the unhealthy conditions that arise from their increased unhealthy behaviors. The result of the increased unhealthy behaviors has led to chronic illnesses among other health conditions. The impact of chronic illnesses has been felt on the United States’ economy. Such behaviors are a primary concern for the future of the US population’s health. For instance, currently, chronic illnesses account for 7 out of 10 deaths annually in the United States (Pearson & Lieber, 2009). Further, approximately 133 million Americans have a chronic illness. This figure represents approximately 45% of the US population (Tilburt et al., 2013). Besides, the trend is seemingly on the rise. Such statistical findings paint a grim picture of a country that is fighting a losing battle as far as unhealthy behaviors are concerned.
Penalties Act as Motivators for adopting Healthy Behaviors
Although people may consider penalization of employees a harsh method, it has been applied as a strategy that motivates employees to behave in a healthy manner. In the light of the increased chronic illnesses because of unhealthy living, companies have borne the repercussions at a time when the cost of insuring and paying for the health care of the sickly employees is going out of control. With more employees suffering from chronic illnesses and consequently, lifelong conditions, companies are now locked in costly long-term health care providers for such employees (Volpp et al., 2011). The situation has called for the establishment of preventive measures and cost-sharing approaches to help employers in reducing the burden of employees’ health care. The imposition of penalties is one of the primary suggestions that have been floated to employers. Some of the company bosses have indeed adopted such approaches. Penalties are carried through the denial of some benefits on unhealthy employers (Schmidt, 2013; Cauchi, 2015). Such a strategy is effective since the affected employees will want to participate in some activities, which effectively push them to adopt healthy living. Another major step towards penalization is to let unhealthy employees contribute higher premiums towards their health care insurance as compared to healthy workers (Lezzoni et al., 2014). Such a measure is widely preferred since it ensures that unhealthy employees contribute towards their increased health costs as a way of reducing the expenses that companies incur towards health care provision. However, despite the viability of penalties in managing the increasing healthcare costs due to unhealthy behaviors, which lead to highly preventable but chronic illnesses, the use of penalties is a significant issue of concern due to the likelihood of discrimination against the affected employees (McGinnis et al., 2002; Pearson & Lieber, 2009). In this case, there is a need to map ways and policies through which such penalties can be applied to ensure fairness for all people.
Conclusion
Employees should be penalized for unhealthy behaviors because health care costs have increased drastically. Many chronic illnesses are controllable and manageable if they are detected early. Employees have the role of ensuring that they participate in maintaining their health. Penalizing employees is a sure way of making them take matters of their health seriously. The concerns that have been raised relating to discrimination of unhealthy employees are valid. However, they should not act to deter the progress that is being made towards ensuring accountability of employees on their health. In this case, the implementation of penalties is a move in the right direction. There is a need to put in place the right measures to address the situation. However, the implementation of such measures should not affect the rights of the affected people.
Reference List
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