Company Health and Wellness : Worksite Health Promotion Program: Form a Worksite Health Promotion Program Committee  

Securing an active Workplace Wellness Program Committee supplies opportunities for both management and employee involvement in the program.  The Wellness Committee ought to be a group of staff members and managers who formally meet to plan activities to reward healthier employee lifestyles.

Typical Functions of a Workplace Health Promotion Program Committee:

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

Your Company Wellness Program Committee should be representative of all levels of the company.  Consider all sections of the workforce – multiple sites, shift workers, diversity (race, gender, ethnicity), and departments.   It’s also significant to consider who will chair or co-chair the Company Wellness Program Committee and whether or not there are the finances to support a Company Wellness Program manager or occupational health consultant, even on a part-time or contractual basis.  Click here for more information on the benefits of a health consultant.  

Depending on your organization size and resources, if you already have a organization Safety Committee you may want to think about making it the Safety & Corporate Health Promotion Program Committee.  You have the potential to request volunteers or invite staff members to participate.  

The number of Workplace Health Promotion Program Committee participants depends on the size of your business; however, you need enough 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 important to include skeptics of wellness as well and not just those employees already practicing healthy lifestyles.  

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

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

Establish a strong Employee Wellness Program Committee!  The Employee Wellness Program Committee must meet frequently with a planned agenda and action items.  Successful Wellness Committees have a shared mission, vision and objectives and goals.  Participants need to believe that their participation is worthwhile and appreciated, that their work is important, benefits the organization and co-staff members, and they are recognized for their contributions. Refer to the NC Workplace Programs section for examples of what other organizations have implemented.