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Firms Use Carrot, Stick to Encourage Healthy Habits Firms are cracking down on the health of employees. Clarian Health recently revised plans to penalize workers for smoking, high blood pressure, or a body mass index over a certain limit. Monitoring workers' health is a growing trend; it costs more to insure smokers and overweight people.
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Firms Use Carrot, Stick to Encourage Healthy Habits

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Firms Use Carrot, Stick to Encourage Healthy Habits

Opinion

Business

Firms Use Carrot, Stick to Encourage Healthy Habits

Firms Use Carrot, Stick to Encourage Healthy Habits

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Heard on Morning Edition

Companies are cracking down on the health of their employees. IBM recently said that starting next year it will pay employees $150 if they sign up their kids for a program to fight childhood obesity.

Clarian Health recently revised controversial plans to penalize workers for smoking, having high blood pressure, or body mass index over a certain limit.

The moves are part of a trend among a growing number of employers to monitor their workers' health. After all, it costs more to insure smokers and overweight people.

Liz Ryan, a columnist for Business Week, speaks with Steve Inskeep.