Starting a Employee Health and Wellness Program Committee
A representative Employee Health and Wellness Program Committee is a cornerstone of a successful Employee Wellness Program, regardless of the size of the employer.
Membership of your Employee Health and Wellness Program Committee
Aim for a committee of a manageable size (no more than 15 members, depending on your employer’s size). Your Employee Health and Wellness Program Committee should represent all employee groups (e.g., full-time and part-time employees, managers and front-line staff, salary and hourly employees, union representation, HR, marketing or communications, legal, and occupational health/safety).
Here are some additional considerations:
• Employee Health and Wellness Program Committee members can be selected by leadership or can be selected from among volunteers.
• Determine in advance how long Employee Health and 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 Employee Wellness Program.
• It’s not important, or even desirable, to have your healthiest employees on the Employee Health and Wellness Program Committee. Ideal Employee Health and Wellness Program Committee members are those who best can represent their peers, motivate others and support the implementation of the Employee Wellness Program.
• Consider offering an incentive or recognition to Employee Health and Wellness Program Committee members. It legitimizes their positions and encourages participation. Some employers that have started stipends have generated enough employee interest that the selection of Employee Health and Wellness Program Committee membership becomes a competitive process. The Employee Health and Wellness Program Committee responsibilities become a formal part of the member’s job accountabilities.
Role of your Employee Health and Wellness Program Committee
In some employers the Employee Health and Wellness Program Committee is accountable for the implementation of the Employee Wellness Program. In other employers, the Employee Health and Wellness Program Committee plays an advisory role. In either case, the group members can be asked to:
• Attend regular meetings of the Employee Health and Wellness Program Committee.
• Help develop a vision and name for the employer’s Employee Wellness Program.
• Represent their peers by sharing ideas, needs, concerns and feedback from their work areas and colleagues about proposed Employer Health and Wellness Program Strategies, policies, and programs.
• Make available feedback on the possible obstacles to proposed Employer Health and Wellness Program Strategies and offer suggestions for addressing those obstacles (e.g., how does a proposed policy fit with the schedules of employees?).
• Suggest effective Employer Health and Wellness Program communication Strategies and solutions to challenges. For example, what is the best way to communicate with employees who work the third shift? How will employees react to a proposed message from upper management?
• Be a voice of support for a culture of wellness, carrying the message from the Employee Health and Wellness Program Committee to their work areas and colleagues.
Functioning of your Employee Health and Wellness Program Committee
Meet. Schedule regular Employee Health and Wellness Program Committee meetings on paid work time. Your Employee Health and Wellness Program Committee may want to meet regulary at first, then slightly less often as your health improvement strategy is more established. If your Employee Health and Wellness Program Committee is new, it might be useful to ask members to provide information about themselves and their interests.
Communicate. Set up frequent channels of communication with Employee Health and Wellness Program Committee members so they are up to date and engaged. An email list is often the easiest way to do this. Encourage communication to flow both ways: from Employer Health and Wellness Program coordinator to members and from members to coordinator.
Check-in. At least once a year, evaluate how effectively the Employee Health and Wellness Program Committee is functioning. Is the Employee Health and 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 Employer Health and Wellness Program roles and responsibilities? Are there members who want to rotate off of the committee? How will new members be selected?
