EEOC Issues Proposed Rule on Workplace Wellness Programs

The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued a proposed rule on April 16, 2015, potentially amending Americans with Disabilities Act regulations and interpretive guidance as they relate to employer wellness programs. The proposed rule contains a number of notable items, including requiring employers to provide a detailed notice of plan elements to wellness plan participants and applying a 30% maximum award cap for participatory wellness programs. The EEOC also requested comments on multiple topics during the regulatory notice and comment period, which ends on June 19, 2015. Input received by the EEOC could alter the requirements of a final EEOC wellness rule.