Smart businesses know that proactive effort, deliberately and consistently implemented, will lead to results. Recent wellness regulations uphold this basic idea. As with most business regulations, the workplace wellness rules announced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in May were met with mixed reactions.

In our view, though, the EEOC's final rules are a strongly positive development, reinforcing the efficacy of well-designed programs and providing clarity to both employers and employees on where the EEOC stands on essential issues such as privacy, incentives and program guidelines. This creates a win-win situation that results in strong workplace wellness programs and healthier workplaces and employees.

Here are four reasons we believe the final rules are a boon to employers: