Why Every Company Should Have a Wellness Committee

...and what to do if your company doesn't

These days Wellness is all the rage, with rising healthcare costs and confusion we are finally turning to a proactive approach to our health.  As an individual we follow the latest trends from Pinterest and eat weird things because they are good for us.  But have you ever really stopped to think about the reasoning behind why you do what you do?  No! But we do these things in hopes that we can fend off a doctor's visit or avoid taking more prescription medication.  What does this have to do with a Wellness Committee you ask? A lot!

The Corporate Wellness programs of the olden days focused on numbers, cutting costs, saving money on your insurance premiums, smoking-cessation, mandatory health screenings and lengthy conversations with someone over the phone who will tell you, in a very generic way, why you are unhealthy and then give you a very generic way to change that. Not only is this type of program boring and depressing, but it does nothing to motivate an employee to make any real changes.

Today's wellness campaigns are fun and inspiring. Nearly every larger company (200+ employees) and about 65% of smaller companies have a wellness team n staff.  Some wellness teams are comprised of a committee from a variety of departments and some teams are wellness employees dedicated fully to enhancing the morale within the company. This person creates campaigns within the workplace that improve the physical and mental health of their fellow employees. 

We no longer view our health as a one-dimensional quality where we are either sick or well.  As a society we have grown to focus on the various processes which keep us happy, healthy, and free from stress and disease.  It is this very change in our approach that allows us to see greater results when we begin to evaluate the effectiveness of our programming.  We have stopped looking only at our physical health and now incorporate, full-spectrum the things that make up our total sense of well-being.

Seven Dimensions of Wellness

So from the standpoint of a CEO or HR manager who wants to be able to guide their employees toward a healthier lifestyle, knowledge about how to approach the task is key.  Setting up a successful program is a task that takes dedication and passion.  As I mentioned before, a wellness committee devoted to meeting monthly and implementing quarterly programs to keep the staff educated and motivated or a full time employee to develop and implement programming is ideal.  

So what do you do if that is not in the budget or your current staff isn't up to the added workload?  You outsource.  Just like in any other area when you need something done effectively and efficiently.  You find a local team that is well educated in the processes, they love what they do, and they bring that energy into your office.  And let's be honest, the biggest benefit you get from this as upper management is happy employees who work a little bit more effectively.  This is known as presenteeism, and what we mean by that is that Jane Doe is actually sitting at her desk working diligently through the day rather than working for ten minutes and checking her social media for twenty and daydreaming about anything but work. Being present with the current task, and that my friend is worth striving for.

So if your company is one of the few without a wellness action plan in place it may be time to start browsing for a local wellness team or speaking to your employees about starting up some campaigns, after all nearly 9 out of 10 employees consider a company's health and wellness offerings when choosing a job - if you want the best, offer them your best!