IHRSA Applauds the Introduction of Federal Legislation to Improve Employee Wellness by Promoting Physical Activity in the Workplace
Permalink Tue, October 4, 2011 at 13:10 The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) strongly supports the Workforce Health Improvement Program (WHIP) Act introduced today by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA). This important legislation is a significant step toward promoting primary prevention and will provide American businesses and their employees with the support they need to improve wellness in the workplace. Employee health affects quality of life for the individual, business profitability, and the U.S. economy.
The WHIP Act takes a significant step in removing barriers to wellness in the workplace. Under current tax law, businesses small and large are permitted to deduct the cost of on-site exercise facilities, and employees are not taxed on the benefit. However, if an employer provides this same benefit at an off-site facility, employees who take advantage of the benefit must pay income tax on the value of the subsidy—a requirement in direct contradiction to the goal of promoting healthful activity in the workplace. The WHIP Act would eliminate this inequity, reaffirming employers’ right to deduct the cost of providing off-site health club or gym benefits and preventing this wellness benefit from being considered additional income for employees.
"IHRSA commends Senator Cornyn and Senator Harkin for their admirable leadership and foresight in seeing how wellness in the workplace is a bipartisan issue that translates into a stronger U.S. economy,” said Joe Moore, President and CEO of IHRSA. "By keeping workers healthy, we control the cost of health care, increase productivity, and bolster the ability of America’s businesses to compete in a global economy. Undoubtedly, primary prevention—supported by legislation like the WHIP Act and other public policy endeavors—is the most cost-effective means of securing the future health and prosperity of America.”
Moore also noted that the WHIP Act would have a particularly positive effect on America’s small businesses, which frequently struggle to afford benefits that allow them to attract and retain quality, loyal employees. Small businesses are the underpinning of the U.S. economy and are an important source of job growth in the United States. In fact, small firms have generated 64 percent of net new jobs over the past 15 years; represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms; create more than 50 percent of the nonfarm private gross domestic product (GDP); employ just over half of all private sector workers; pay 44 percent of the total U.S. private payroll; and are hot spots for innovation.
The concept of workplace wellness is so central to the national discussion on how to address the spiraling cost of health care in America that it is codified in the nation’s first-ever National Physical Activity Plan. The Plan specifically calls on America’s CEOs to sign the “CEO Pledge”—a written commitment to improve employee health and wellness by producing opportunities and resources for physical activity before, during, or after the workday.
“The WHIP Act will help America’s businesses build a strong employee base,” Moore continued. “Since many employers do not have the resources or office space to offer on-site exercise rooms and fitness programs, the WHIP Act makes it easier for all employers to offer health-promoting exercise incentives to their workers without any tax complications. The introduction of the WHIP Act makes it clear that both Senator Cornyn and Senator Harkin are champions of primary prevention, and that they are truly committed to improving the health of all Americans.”
About Primary Prevention and Exercise
Primary prevention refers to the deterrence of disease before it occurs by engaging in beneficial lifestyle behaviors, such as regular exercise, healthy eating, avoidance of tobacco and other controlled substances, stress management, and routine medical exams.
IHRSA has long urged Members of Congress to support cost-saving primary prevention policies and legislation. IHRSA believes that the focus of Congressional healthcare policies must be on preserving health and making exercise and healthier lifestyles easier choices for all Americans.
Research shows that physical activity is extremely important to good health. At the proper moderate intensity, regular exercise significantly improves overall health; reduces the risk of heart disease by 40 percent; lowers the risk of stroke by 27 percent; reduces the incidence of high blood pressure by almost 50 percent; reduces the incidence of diabetes by almost 50 percent; can reduce mortality and the risk of recurrent breast cancer by almost 50 percent; can lower the risk of colon cancer by over 60 percent; can reduce the risk of developing of Alzheimer’s disease by one-third; and can decrease depression as effectively as medications or behavioral therapy. These findings have been embraced by Exercise is Medicine™, a global initiative supported by the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) calling on physicians to assess and review every patient’s physical activity program at every office visit.
About IHRSA
IHRSA is a not-for-profit trade association representing health and fitness facilities, gyms, spas, sports clubs, and suppliers worldwide. IHRSA is committed to taking a leadership role in advancing physical activity, which is critical to America's health and the battle against obesity and disease. IHRSA supports effective national initiatives to promote more active lifestyles for all Americans and is working to pass laws that will help affect societal changes toward a more fit America.
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