Updated July 23, 2021
Americans who work full time spend more than one-third of their day, five days per week at the workplace. Employers are in a unique position to promote the health and safety of their employees. Implementing health programs and policies can reduce health risks and improve the quality of life for the roughly 123 million workers in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A clear benefit of a workplace wellness program for small, medium and large-sized businesses is reduced employer medical costs. More and more employers are setting-up workplace wellness programs that help employees live healthier lives and at the same time, add to the bottom line.
Even the best worksite wellness program cannot meet the company's goals if employees do not participate. Employers must promote the program and make it easy to join. That is where wellness champions come in.
Who Are Workplace Wellness Champions?
Usually an unpaid volunteer, the role of carefully selected employee representatives is to encourage involvement in the program's activities among co-workers. The most effective workplace wellness champions tend to be employees who are:
- Enthusiastic about living a healthy lifestyle and have an interest in bringing such a culture to the worksite — even if they are not yet as fit as they can be.
- Skilled in communication and can tell co-workers about the program with sincerity.
- In good standing within the company and can give honest feedback and progress reports to corporate leadership.
Workplace wellness champions are also becoming more prevalent within companies. In fact, about 72 percent of companies have a workplace wellness champion, according to a 2019 Worksite Health Scorecard survey by the CDC.
Benefits of Workplace Wellness Champions
Workplace wellness champions help encourage a positive work environment, which then can lead employees to:
- Be social influencers (think social media!)
- Understand and share wellness program tools and encourage co-worker participation.
- Find ways to customize, improve and grow the wellness program.
About Doylestown Health
Doylestown Health is a comprehensive healthcare system of inpatient, outpatient, and wellness education services connected to meet the health needs of the local and regional community. The flagship of Doylestown Health is Doylestown Hospital, a not-for-profit, community teaching hospital with 242 beds and a medical staff of more than 600 providers who deliver the highest quality care in over 50 specialties. Renowned locally, regionally, and nationally, Doylestown Hospital provides superior healthcare and offers advanced surgical procedures, innovative medical treatments, and comprehensive specialty services. Now in its 100th year of service in central Bucks County, Doylestown Hospital is proud to educate and train the next generation of physicians through its family medicine residency program. Consistently ranked among the best hospitals in Pennsylvania and distinguished in both infection prevention and patient experience, Doylestown Hospital is the only hospital in Pennsylvania to achieve 17 consecutive ‘A’ grades for patient safety from Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. Learn more at doylestownhealth.org.
