JOHN MCCARTHY AND JOHN BRINSON REPRESENT IHRSA AND THE US HEALTH CLUB INDUSTRY AT THE US HOUSE SMALL BUSINESS COMMITTEE’S SUBCOMMITTEE ON TAX, FINANCE AND EXPORTS HEARING ON THE WORKFORCE HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (WHIP) ACT
BOSTON - July 14, 2004 - On July 8, 2004, as a direct result of the 130 congressional meetings that took place at IHRSA’s second annual Legislative Summit, the US House of Representatives Small Business Committee held a hearing to address the Workforce Health Improvement Program (WHIP) Act. The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) was invited to testify and IHRSA’s executive director, John McCarthy and John Brinson, CEO of Lehigh Valley Racquet & 24-7 Fitness Centers represented IHRSA and the industry at the hearing.
As part of his testimony, John McCarthy said, “In IHRSA’s view, the WHIP legislation represents an important first step in providing the real world incentives necessary to promote physical activity in the workplace. It is not a “silver bullet” and we must continue to explore other ways to incentivize exercise. However, passing WHIP would send a strong signal that the Congress is truly committed to developing new ways to promote healthy lifestyles and is serious about combating the health crisis that we are facing in this country today. I urge all the members of this committee to sign on to support WHIP and to work for its rapid passage in the House of Representatives.”
John Brinson, CEO of Lehigh Valley Racquet & 24-7 Fitness Clubs testified that, “Employer support for fitness increases employee productivity, reduces absenteeism and turnover, improves morale and lowers health insurance costs. The WHIP Act will be good for employers and employees…productivity will increase, meaning more profits and more jobs.”
In addition to IHRSA, representatives from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity (NCPPA) attended the hearing and voiced their support for the WHIP Act.
According to the SHRM, 67 percent of human resource managers would consider offering an employee wellness benefit if the WHIP Act is passed. In addition, Karen Silberman, executive director of NCPPA said in her testimony, “The WHIP bill is not a cure all, but it is a step in the right direction. It provides the flexibility and incentive to both employers and employees to make physical activity part of their daily routine. The WHIP bill encourages employers of all types and sizes, whether they have ‘in-house’ or ‘off-premises’ fitness facilities, to offer an ‘exercise benefit’ to their employees. Most importantly, the WHIP bill levels the playing field between small businesses and large corporations by assuring that small businesses receive the same opportunities to improve their health as those of large corporations.”
The Workforce Health Improvement Program (WHIP) Act would allow small business owners to provide subsidized health club memberships for their employees and to deduct the cost of this employee benefit in the same manner that major corporations do when they operate their own employee fitness centers. The WHIP Act would also ensure that an employee wellness benefit would not be considered taxable compensation to the individual employee. The WHIP Act was introduced in 2003 by Rep. Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and enjoys bipartisan support with 35 cosponsors to date.
Rep. Toomey, chairman of the US House Small Business Committee’s Subcommittee on Tax, Finance and Exports opened the hearing with a summary of the proposed legislation and emphasized that the WHIP Act is not a benefit for employers, but for employees. “Exercise and weight loss are critical to maintaining a healthy lifestyle,” said Rep. Toomey. “Public health experts unanimously agree that people who maintain active healthy lifestyle dramatically reduce their risk of contracting chronic diseases. A physically fit population results in a decrease in health care costs, reduced governmental spending fewer illnesses and improved worker productivity.”
The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) is a nonprofit association dedicated to the growth, protection, and promotion of the health club industry, and represents more than 6,500 clubs worldwide. IHRSA is an international leader in health club industry education and research.
