The Code of Conduct    

Programs Should Do No Harm

 

Our organization resolves that its program should do no harm to employee health, corporate integrity or employee/employer finances. Instead, we will endeavor to support employee well-being for our customers, their employees, and all program constituents.

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Employee Benefits and Harm Avoidance

 

Our organization will recommend doing programs with/for employees rather than to them and will focus on promoting well-being and avoiding bad health outcomes. Our choices and frequencies of screenings are consistent with United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), CDC guidelines, and Choosing Wisely.

 

Our relevant staff will be adequately trained and understand USPSTF guidelines, employee harm avoidance, wellness-sensitive medical event measurement, and outcomes analysis.   

 

Employees will not be singled out, fined, or embarrassed for their health status.  Rather, our wellness program will aim to provide an inclusive atmosphere and respect employee diversity.

 

Respect for Corporate Integrity and Employee Data Privacy and Security

 

We will not share employee-identifiable data with employers without employee permission and we will adhere to applicable HIPAA regulations and any other applicable state or federal laws, as well as adopt industry best practices to protect employee health data.

 

Commitment to Valid Outcomes Measurement

 

Our contractual language and outcomes reporting will be transparent and plausible. All research limitations (e.g., “participants vs. non-participants” or the “natural flow of risk” or ignoring dropouts) and methodology will be fully disclosed, sourced, and readily available. Outcomes and/or contractual language need not be validated by the Validation Institute but if not, the program should describe why not (e.g., cost, small sample size).

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AMENDMENT #1, adopted December 11, 2017:

The following declaration would be mandatory for all weight loss programs:

Research shows that the vast majority of people who participate in weight loss programs will eventually gain their weight back after the program ends. Many will also gain back more than they lose. The weight cycling that occurs with repeated participation in weight loss programs may have negative effects on their health.