Employee Health Promotion

A crucial first step in organizing your company’s wellness program is the formation of a wellness committee.  The focus of the wellness committee is to plan, promote, and implement the wellness program.

The committee establishes continuity, motivation, and broad ownership of the wellness program as well as provides an great automobile for communication.

So who must be on the committee? Consider appointing the following people /departments to your committee -

o  senior level management within your business

o  Union representatives

o  Human resources (HR)  department

o  Employee assistance program

o  Information technology

o  Communications

o  Health and safety department

o  Employees interested in wellness

Building a successful wellness program requires staff time as well as money. Some bigger organizations may spend 20 hours per week for three to six months preparing all the steps before launching a wellness program.

Anywhere from 4 to 10 individuals  meeting monthly equals a wellness committee. A mission statement for the committee should be developed by the second meeting. This way, everybody knows what the committee is working toward.

Once a health promotion program has been established, the committee’s size and meeting schedule may change. Still, no fewer than 4 members ought to meet at least quarterly so the group â.” and the health promotion program â.” does not fade away.

Support from upper management is essential to building a successful wellness program! Visible upper management support is one of the most critical factors in the success of a workplace Wellness Program.

Executive management executives are responsible for making sure that the organization meets its objectives. They can provide additional assistance by helping you to link your Wellness Program objectives to organization outcomes, thereby positioning Wellness Program as a fundamental part of the organization.

It is vital that you develop support and excitement for the health promotion program from all levels of the corporation including senior management, mid-level management, and grass-root staff.

The challenge for any Wellness Program coordinator is convincing executive management about the potential value of Wellness Program to the corporation and conceptualizing how health promotion programs can impact the corporation in a meaningful manner.

The American Journal of Health Promotion is a excellent resource to assist you with obtaining convincing information on the benefits of a Health Promotion Program.

Wellness Program support from executive management can come in many different ways -

o  Involvement in the planning process

o  Distribution of funding for the wellness program

o  Support for time given to the health promotion program

o  Participation in wellness events

o  Leadership by management, such as the distribution of a letter of support for the wellness program.

o  Download a sample letter requesting senior management support. (http – //www.ibx.com/pdfs/custom/worksite_wellness/business_tools/sr_mgt_support.doc)

o  Flexibility of employee schedules to accommodate wellness activities