Court Denies EEOC's Requested Preliminary Injunction to Block Wellness Plan Biometric Testing

On November 3 U.S. District Court Judge Ann Montgomery gave Honeywell International a victory in Round One of the EEOC's legal challenge to Honeywell's wellness program, by refusing to grant the EEOC preliminary restraints barring Honeywell from imposing monetary penalties on employees who refuse to submit to biometric screening. Judge Montgomery reasoned that she was not prepared to decide whether the EEOC would prevail on the merits, and it would be easier to require Honeywell to reimburse employees for monetary penalties they suffer as opposed to blocking the penalties for now and assessing the penalties later if the wellness program is determined to be lawful. So for now, Honeywell's biometric screening may continue.

If you have any questions about whether your company’s wellness program is compliant with the Affordable Care Act, HIPAA, the ADA or GINA, please contact Patrick W. McGovern, Esq., in our Employee Benefits Group at 973-535-7129, pmcgovern@genovaburns.com.