Originally published in The Journal Record - August 4, 2011.

At the conclusion of The Wall Street Journal's 2011 CEO Council meeting, the CEO Council members listed its collective list of top priorities. High on the list of priorities for this year is for members to create workplace wellness programs for issues such as obesity, smoking, and disease prevention — emphasizing activity. Such wellness programs have risen in popularity over the past few years as employers have discovered that healthier employees are often more productive employees. Recent empirical studies agree, showing that the return on investment on corporate employee wellness programs can be as high as $3 for every $1 spent.

With so many potential benefits for both employers and employees, are there any potential legal pitfalls when an employer offers incentives (including monetary rewards) to its employees for participating in a wellness program?

Article authored by McAfee & Taft Attorney: Lauren Hanna.