In a recent study commissioned by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc. (AAOHN), 500 full-time workers nationwide were interviewed by telephone.

“Today’s workers are clearly dealing with a lot of pressures such as the effects of 9/11, an unstable economy, national security threats and work/balance issues. There is a real opportunity for employers to serve as an ally to their workers by providing them with resources to better manage their physical and emotional health – anything from stress management seminars to nutrition and exercise counseling,” says Deborah V. DiBenedetto, president of AAOHN.

Nearly 80% of respondents believe their health would improve if they were offered the right information and tools through a viable Corporate Wellness Program.

Topping the list of most interesting Corporate Wellness Programs cited by workers is stress management (85%), closely followed by testing programs (84%), exercise/physical fitness programs (84%), health insurance education (81%) and disease management seminars (80%).

More than half of workers (61%) would prefer to receive health and wellness information from a medical consultant or worksite nurse, compared to pamphlets or brochures (18%) or human resources staff (15%).

Is your employer’s Corporate Wellness Program Health and Wellness Committee new?  Has it existed on paper but been inactive for a while?  In either case, some of the following may be appropriate agenda items for your first Corporate Wellness Program meetings.   You may also want to revisit these topics annually.

• Clarify roles of Health and Wellness Committee members  
 ­ Are members responsible for implementing changes or recommending changes?
 ­ How long are members’ terms on the Health and Wellness Committee?
 ­ How will new members be selected?

• Determine Health and Wellness Committee meeting frequency and processes 
 ­ Determine dates, times, and locations.
 ­ Determine how agendas will be set.
 ­ Plan for recording and distributing meeting notes.

• Plan Corporate Wellness Program communication with upper management  
 ­ Does a leader sit on the group or does the coordinator report on progress (and to whom)?
 ­ How often do leaders want reports on Corporate Wellness Program progress?

• Select a name and brand for your employer’s Corporate Wellness Program

• Create a vision statement for your employer’s Corporate Wellness Program

• Identify existing allies Corporate Wellness Program for promoting worker health within your employer
 ­ Who do Health and Wellness Committee members know who could be relied on to support workplace changes needed to create a culture that promotes health?

• Brainstorm challenges your employer may face in working to create facilities, policies and Corporate Wellness Program practices that promote worker health
 ­ What do committee members regard as opportunities? How about potential Corporate Wellness Program obstacles?

• History of past Corporate Wellness Program efforts  
 ­ If relevant, summarize past Corporate Wellness Program efforts. Discuss what your employer learned from those efforts.
? What has the employer tried over the last few years?
? What has worked well?
? What hasn’t worked well?
? How, if at all, was success of previous Corporate Wellness Program efforts measured?