Dive Brief:
- When it comes to health improvement and changing health behaviors, social connections and support are essential. Research has shown that people are influenced by the health status and behaviors — such as smoking, good nutrition and exercise — of their friends, family and coworkers, according to an article at Bizjournals.com.
- With that in mind, more and more employers are establishing a wellness champion network to support and ensure the success of their workplace wellness efforts, writes Erin Seaverson, senior director of research, analytics and reporting at StayWell
- What is a wellness champion network? Seaverson says it is a group of employees who work together to improve the health and culture of the workplace as part of their employer-sponsored wellness program, by socially connecting with others and helping to educate coworkers about program offerings.
Dive Insight:
According to Seaverson, wellness champions are crucial to how program information is communicated and the level of acceptance it receives from employees. An employer can have a handful of champions (all volunteers) or it can have hundreds, depending on the company size and number of locations.
Seaverson writes that if organization thinks it might benefit from a wellness champion network, or if you already have a network in place and are looking to enhance or improve upon how the group currently operates, key questions include: Who are your top wellness champion candidates? What roles and responsibilities will your wellness champions have? What internal communications systems need to be in place? And how will you measure outcomes?
Once established, Seaverson writes, it’s essential to nurture the network so champions can continue to support corporate health initiatives. She offers several tips for success, including communicating regularly, making sure champions are visible, having champions host wellness-related educational events (such as "lunch and learns" to promote healthy behaviors like good nutrition, exercise and stress management techniques), and making being a wellness champion fun.
