White Paper

Wearables in the Workplace: Promise and Pitfalls

 
“In recent years, the use of wearable devices, such as smartwatches and Fitbits, has gained popularity not only with the general public and consumers but also among employers as a way to encourage workers to maintain healthier habits and, in turn, help reduce health care costs. Increasingly, companies are distributing wearable devices to employees as part of workplace wellness programs. According to one estimate, nearly half of employers that have a workplace wellness program use fitness trackers. This trend shows little sign of abating. The data collected from these trackers—on such things as quality of sleep and activity level, for example—can be shared with health insurance companies, which may allow employers to negotiate lower insurance policy rates for their employees. Companies that have encouraged wearable fitness trackers have also realized other benefits, including decreased absenteeism and increased worker productivity.”

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Ian Carleton Schaefer is a member of the Firm in the Employment, Labor & Workforce Management practice, in the New York office of Epstein Becker Green and a member of the firm’s National Labor and Employment Steering Committee. In addition, he co-leads the Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (TMT) service team and is co-editor of the Technology Employment Law blog.

Bonnie I. Scott is an associate of the Firm in the Health Care and Life Sciences practice, in the Washington, DC, office of Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. In 2016, Ms. Scott served as a contributing author of Epstein Becker Green's 50-State Survey of Telemental/Telebehavioral Health, detailing the rapid growth of telemental health - mental health care delivered via interactive audio or video, computer programs, or mobile applications - and the increasingly complex legal issues associated with this trend. She is also a contributor to the Health Law Advisor Blog.

Faculty

Ian Carleton Schaefer

Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.