Corporate Wellness Blog

Organizing an active Worksite Wellness Program Committee provides opportunities for both senior staff and employee participation in the program.  The Wellness Committee ought to be a team of employees and managers who formally meet to plan activities to encourage healthier employee lifestyles.

Typical Functions of a Company Wellness Program Committee:

• Analyzing needs & interests
• Brainstorming program ideas
• Creating activities
• Establishing communication plans
• Promoting programs to co-workers
• Serving as champions of the Corporate Health Promotion Programs
• Assisting with assessment  

Your Employee Health Promotion Program Committee must be representative of all echelons of the company.  Consider all sections of the workforce – multiple sites, shift staff members, diversity (race, gender, ethnicity), and departments.   It’s also valuable to consider who will chair or co-chair the Employee Health Promotion Program Committee and whether or not there are the finances to support a Employee Health Promotion Program manager or occupational health professional, even on a part-time or contractual basis.  Click here for more information on the benefits of a health professional.  

Depending on your organization size and resources, if you already have a organization Safety Committee you may want to consider making it the Safety & Workplace Wellness Program Committee.  You can request volunteers or invite workers to participate.  

The number of Company Wellness Program Committee participants is dependent upon the size of your business; however, you need a sufficient number of participants to get the work done and yet not too many to keep it manageable, usually a minimum of 4 participants and maximum of 12 to 15 participants.  It’s valuable to include skeptics of wellness as well and not just those employees already living healthy lifestyles.  

Depending on your worksite, consider representatives from the following areas:

• Employee representatives from a cross section of different departments,
• Upper Management
• Health and safety professional(s),
• Human resources consultant(s),
• Employee benefits representative or someone from finance,
• Your EAP provider (if applicable), Click here for more information on EAPs
• Occupational health employee (if applicable).

Establish a strong Corporate Wellness Program Committee!  The Corporate Wellness Program Committee must meet regularly with a planned agenda and action items.  Effective Wellness Committees have a shared mission, vision and goals.  Members must believe that their participation is worthwhile and appreciated, that their work is important, benefits the organization and co-workers, and they are appreciated for their contributions. Refer to the NC Workplace Programs section for examples of what other businesses have implemented.