We at Quizzify formally oppose the Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act, HR 1313. In addition to being an Orwellian intrusion into employees’ private lives, as many others have pointed out, mass genetic screening has proven to be completely ineffective as part of wellness programs, at either improving health or saving money. In addition, it is very expensive and unreliable. The entire premise—that, for example, if you tell an employee they have a gene for obesity they are more likely to want to lose weight—is flawed.
We are especially concerned about Section 3(b), whose language indicates that dependents, including children, may be genetically screened as well.
As founding members of www.ethicalwellness.org, we will be supporting their position on the issue as well.
We believe instead that it is far more effective to include employee health literacy in wellness programs. While there are many arguments – privacy, expense, ineffectiveness – against genetic testing in wellness programs, there is no argument in favor of ignorance. Wiser employees make healthier choices.
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