A consumer group is accusing WellPoint and UnitedHealthcare of asking workers during business hours to lobby Congress to weaken health reform, actions they say would violate California labor laws.

The group, Consumer Watchdog, has asked California Attorney General Jerry Brown to investigate.

Consumer Watchdog says United Healthcare and WellPoint, which has 34 million subscribers and operates as Anthem Blues in 12 states and as Empire Blue Cross in New York, have launched national campaigns to individually “assist” employees in writing and calling members of Congress.

“We write to request that you investigate actions by health insurance companies Anthem/WellPoint and UnitedHealthcare that may violate the right of employees in California to be free of political pressure by employers,” the letter says. “Both companies are urging their employees to lobby members of Congress and offering corporate assistance in doing so, including talking points and even the placing of phone calls for the employees. We believe that such individual political coercion by an employer is illegal under the California Labor Code.”

Consumer Watchdog says United Healthcare sent “a general letter to employees, asking them to contact members of Congress to urge weakening of health care reforms.”

The group says the letter sent to employees says, “’As part of our effort to educate and assist you in your efforts to communicate your view to your elected officials, YOU MAY BE CONTACTED during business hours by a member of the United for Health Reform advocacy team.’”

Consumer Watchdog says Anthem/WellPoint sent “what appears to be an undated general employee e-mail carrying the Anthem logo.” That note urges employees to “make your voice heard by visiting a ‘grassroots website,’ the WellPoint Health Action Network, ‘to assist you with contacting your elected officials… about this important issue,’” according to Consumer Watchdog.

“The message, by claiming that ‘tens of millions of Americans’ would lose private insurance coverage and ‘end up in a government-run plan,’ also implies that employees would lose their jobs if proposed national reforms are passed,” according to the Consumer Watchdog letter to Brown.

WellPoint officials would not comment, saying they had not seen anything from the attorney general.

UnitedHealth Group, parent company of UnitedHealthcare, said in a statement that “assertions that UnitedHealth Group has encouraged employees to stand in the way of meaningful health reform are completely false and particularly disappointing, as we have been one of the biggest proponents for modernizing our health care system.”

The company said it “made information available to our employees for them to participate, voluntarily, in Congressional town hall meetings, or to write or call their elected officials. Furthermore, we have told our employees to participate as individuals, not on behalf of the company, with their unique messages and personal perspective.”

The company said its CEO wrote to all employees, “We encourage you to continue to lend your practical know-how and point of view to the health care reform debate, as always, in a respectful and collegial manner that elevates the discussion and that is consistent with the social values we hold as a company.  Our mission is to help people live healthier lives.  To do that, we know we have to listen closely to the people we serve and work together with them…We must remain mindful to bring that same spirit of service, respect and cooperation to this important public discussion.”

Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., UnitedHealth Group insures more than 70 million people in the U.S. through brands including UnitedHealthcare, Ovations, AmeriChoice, OptumHealth, Ingenix and Prescription Solutions.