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