PURPOSE: To identify factors related to formation, participation, and characteristics of employee advisory boards (EABs) in blue-collar worksites. DESIGN: This study used a nonexperimental qualitative design to assess EAB formation, activity, and enthusiasm levels and examined those factors relative to employee participation in worksite-wide health promotion activities. SETTING: Twenty-two blue-collar worksites with a total of 113 EAB members in the greater Seattle area. SUBJECTS: Individuals who agreed to serve on EABs in the intervention worksites. INTERVENTION: Participants received training in involving employees in the 5-A-Day project intervention activities. MEASURES: Measures include type of worksite, number of EAB members, method of EAB recruitment, and variables describing EAB functioning, including attendance at meetings, assistance at project activities, and level of enthusiasm. RESULTS: All worksites formed EABs. There was no association between the way the EAB was formed and subsequent EAB attendance at meetings, participation in project activities, representativeness of the EAB, or level of EAB enthusiasm. Enthusiasm of the EAB was associated with employee participation, and EABs with a higher level of enthusiasm showed more participation by employees than worksites with less enthusiastic EABs. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to develop participatory structures in small, blue-collar worksites. More information is needed about factors related to levels of enthusiasm of EABs.