Creating a Company Wellness Program Committee

A representative Company Wellness Program Committee is a cornerstone of a successful Company Wellness Program, regardless of the size of the employer.

Membership of your Company Wellness Program Committee

Aim for a committee of a manageable size (no more than 15 members, depending on your employer’s size). Your Company Wellness Program Committee should represent all employee groups (e.g., full-time and part-time workers, managers and front-line staff, salary and hourly workers, union representation, HR, marketing or communications, legal, and occupational health/safety).

Here are some additional considerations:

• Company Wellness Program Committee members can be selected by leadership or can be selected from among volunteers.
• Determine in advance how long Company Wellness Program Committee members will support and how new members will be selected. Balance the need for continuity with the need to bring fresh ideas and energy to your employer’s Company Wellness Program.
• It’s not important, or even desirable, to have your healthiest workers on the Company Wellness Program Committee. Ideal Company Wellness Program Committee members are those who best can represent their peers, motivate others and support the implementation of the Company Wellness Program.
• Consider offering an incentive or recognition to Company Wellness Program Committee members. It legitimizes their positions and encourages participation. Some employers that have implemented stipends have generated enough worker interest that the selection of Company Wellness Program Committee membership becomes a competitive process. The Company Wellness Program Committee responsibilities become a formal component of the member’s job accountabilities.

Role of your Company Wellness Program Committee

In some employers the Company Wellness Program Committee is responsible for the implementation of the Company Wellness Program. In other employers, the Company Wellness Program Committee plays an advisory role. In either case, the group members can be asked to:

• Attend regular meetings of the Company Wellness Program Committee.
• Help establish a vision and name for the employer’s Company Wellness Program.
• Represent their peer group by sharing ideas, needs, concerns and feedback from their work areas and colleagues about proposed Company Wellness Program Procedures, policies, and programs.
• Offer feedback on the possible barriers to proposed Company Wellness Program Procedures and offer suggestions for addressing those barriers (e.g., how does a proposed policy fit with the schedules of workers?).
• Suggest effective Company Wellness Program communication Procedures and solutions to challenges. For example, what is the best way to communicate with workers who work the third shift? How will workers react to a proposed message from leadership?
• Be a voice of support for a culture of health, carrying the message from the Company Wellness Program Committee to their work areas and colleagues.

Functioning of your Company Wellness Program Committee

Meet. Schedule regular Company Wellness Program Committee meetings on paid work time. Your Company Wellness Program Committee may want to meet frequently at first, then slightly less frequently as your health improvement strategy is more established. If your Company Wellness Program Committee is new, it might be useful to ask members to provide information about themselves and their interests.

Communicate. Set up regular channels of communication with Company Wellness Program Committee members so they are up to date and engaged. An email list is frequently the easiest way to do this. Encourage communication to flow both ways: from Company Wellness Program coordinator to members and from members to coordinator.

Check-in. At least once a year, assess how effectively the Company Wellness Program Committee is functioning. Is the Company Wellness Program Committee serving its original purpose? Ask committee members for their feedback. Do they feel like their work is making a difference? Do they feel like their input is valued and taken into account when planning and implementing initiatives? Do they understand their expected Company Wellness Program roles and responsibilities? Are there members who want to rotate off of the committee? How will new members be selected?