EEOC Targets Company Wellness Program

Honeywell International Inc. is the target of an EEOC lawsuit because of its plans to make health care coverage more expensive for workers who choose not to participate in the company’s wellness program. Honeywell shot back against the EEOC, saying the suit is “frivolous” and “out of step.” The company had informed employees that not participating in the program would mean a $500 annual surcharge on their health insurance premiums, the withholding up to $1,500 a year in contributions to health savings accounts and a $1,000 tobacco surcharge against workers who opted out of wellness screenings, according to the lawsuit. These charges put Honeywell in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Generic Information Nondiscrimination Act, the EEOC says. The company maintained, in a statement, that no Honeywell employee “has ever been denied healthcare coverage or disciplined in any way as a result of their voluntary decision not to participate in our wellness programs.”