Employee Wellness Newsletter : Workplace Physical Activity Programs: Committees and Opportunities

Workplace Physical Activity Programs: Forming an Employee Committee

Although support from the top is critical to a efficacious program, support from other workers is also important.

Once you get the go-ahead from upper management, identify others who are interested in the project and form a Company Wellness Program Committee to help determine the next steps. Depending on the size of your workplace and the amount of employee time management is willing to contribute, this Company Wellness Program Committee may be advisory or may plan and carry out the initiative.

The Workplace Health Promotion Program Committee might include employees from human resources, occupational health and safety and finance. It’s also a great idea to involve employee from other areas who have an interest in promoting physical activity. Terms of reference will define the boundaries of the project. By way of example, it’s valuable for the Workplace Health Promotion Program Committee to have clearly defined and understood tasks. Possible tasks include the following:

• Assessing your workplace environment
• Carrying out an employee interest survey.
• Developing a mission statement and goals.
• Writing a physical activity or wellness policy declaring the organization’s commitment to physical activity.
• Brainstorming program ideas.
• Promoting, communicating and marketing the initiative.
• Coordinating specific activities.
• Deciding how the plan will be evaluated.
• Continually assessing what is or isn’t working and adjusting the plan.

Before making plans to bolster physical activity during work, it’s valuable to find out what is “doable” in your workplace.

You don’t want to raise employee expectations by offering something that’s impossible due to funding or space limits. For example, it’s not realistic to suggest putting in a fitness facility if there’s no space for it. Be open, however, to creative ways around limitations.

Workplace Physical Activity Programs: Finding out What’s Feasible in Your Workplace

Check with recreation departments or fitness facilities for diagrams of the local walking trails or underground pedways. Great walking trails may be right around the block from your workplace.

Below are some questions to help you assess your workplace:

• What facilities or opportunities does your work space have that make it easier to be physically active during the workday? For example, do you have stairs, bike racks, showers, space for a fitness facility, factory walking lanes?
• What nearby facilities or opportunities could employees use to be more physically active during work? Are you near sidewalks, walking trails, community centres, bike lanes for active commuting and/or exercise facilities?
• What resources are available?
• Can the plan access funds, personnel, space, equipment, facilities?
• What is the structure of your company? For example, consider employee size, working hours, number of sites, unusual shifts, length of lunch breaks and ability to use flex time.