Wellness Plans : Wellness Programs – Form a Wellness Committee .

Establishing an active Health Promotion Committee provides opportunities for both upper-level management and employee involvement in the wellness program.  The Committee ought to be a team of workers and managers who formally meet to plan activities to promote healthier employee lifestyles.

Typical Functions of a Wellness Committee –

• Investigating needs and interests

• Brainstorming wellness program ideas

• Developing activities

• Developing communication plans

• Advertising health promotion programs to colleagues

• Serving as champions of the Wellness Programs

• Helping with investigation  

Your Health Promotion Committee ought to be representative of all levels of the business.  Consider all areas of the workforce – multiple sites, shift staff, diversity (race, gender, ethnicity), and departments.  

It’s also crucial to consider who will chair or co-chair the Wellness Committee and whether or not there are the finances to support a wellness manager or occupational health specialist, even on a part-time or contractual basis.  Click here for more information on the benefits of a health specialist.  

Depending on your business size and resources, if you already have a business Safety Committee you may want to consider making it the Safety and Health Promotion Committee.  You can request volunteers or invite workers to participate.  

The number of Health Promotion Committee members depends on the size of your company; nonetheless, you need enough members to get the work done and yet not too many to keep it manageable, usually a minimum of 4 members and maximum of 12 to 15 members.  

It is important to include skeptics of wellness as well and not just those workforce already practicing healthful lifestyles.  

Depending on your workplace, consider representatives from the following areas –

• Staff Member representatives from a cross section of different departments,

• Senior level management ,

• Health and safety expert(s),

• Human resources specialist(s),

• Benefits staff or someone from finance,

• Your staff member assistance program (EAP) provider (if applicable), Click here for additional information on EAPs

• Medical or occupational health staff (if applicable).

Establish an effective Wellness Committee!  the Wellness Committee ought to meet regularly with a planned agenda and action items.  Successful Wellness Committees have a shared mission, vision and goals.  

Members need to believe that their participation is worthwhile and appreciated, that their work is important, benefits the company and colleagues, and they are recognized for their contributions. Refer to the NC Workplace Programs section for instances of what other organizations have implemented.