Advertisement Well Done? EEOC's New Proposed Rules Would Limit Employer Wellness Programs to De Minimis Incentives—with Significant Exceptions Tuesday, January 12, 2021 Introduction On 7 January 2021, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) proposed two new rules designed to clarify the scope of incentives that employers may offer employees as part of a wellness program without violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). The rules, which are subject to a 60-day public comment period, come in response to a 2017 court decision invalidating previous EEOC rules on this subject. In most instances, the rules would allow employers to offer employees only de minimis incentives for participating in a wellness program. However, there are some significant exceptions, including one that would allow employers to offer employees an incentive of up to 30 percent of the total cost of coverage, if the incentive is in connection with a health-contingent insurance plan.