Beginning a Wellness Committee

A representative Wellness Committee is a cornerstone of a successful Employee Health Promotion 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 Employee Health Promotion 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 Employee Health Promotion Program.

Consider offering an incentive or recognition to Wellness Committee members. It legitimizes their positions and encourages participation. Some organizations that have started 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.

Role of your Wellness Committee

In some organizations the Wellness Committee is responsible for the implementation of the Employee Health Promotion 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 Employee Health Promotion Program.

Represent their peer group by sharing ideas, needs, concerns and feedback from their work areas and colleagues about proposed Employee Health Promotion Program Procedures, policies, and programs.

Offer feedback on the possible barriers to proposed Employee Health Promotion Program Procedures and offer suggestions for addressing those barriers (e.g., how does a proposed policy fit with the schedules of workers?).

Suggest effective Employee Health Promotion 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 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 frequently 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 regular and frequent 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 Employee Health Promotion 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 Employee Health Promotion Program roles and responsibilities? Are there members who want to rotate off of the committee? How will new members be selected?