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Employee wellness takes Centre stage as organisations vie for talent

For a long time, organisations in the post liberalisation technology-powered world looked at employees as a replaceable asset. Behind this belief was a focus on profit and availability of ample human resource. This erosion of belief in human resource as a company’s most valuable asset has been a major contributor to the high degree of […]

For a long time, organisations in the post liberalisation technology-powered world looked at employees as a replaceable asset. Behind this belief was a focus on profit and availability of ample human resource. This erosion of belief in human resource as a company’s most valuable asset has been a major contributor to the high degree of disenchantment prevalent among employees across industries. High attrition rates — the major bane of our times — are a direct consequence of a work environment that doesn’t invest in the wellbeing of their most valuable asset. 

Thankfully, a growing number of organisations are today realising the cost of treating people as expendable. The increasing focus on employee well-being as a centre of HR policies and a growing thrust on improving quality of life is gaining increasing priority at the HR agenda. This turn has not only been pushed by greater social consciousness but by the practical need for preventing a flight of talent and nurturing loyalty and commitment. 

In India, this movement towards employee wellness can best be regarded as nascent. However, there is a clear and visible turn towards initiating policies that take into account the employees’ comfort, their need for greater work life balance as well as greater stress on their health and wellness. 

Cost of disengaged employees 

If you think investing in employee engagement will unnecessarily inflate your overhead expenses, you have most likely never thought about the cost of disengaged employees! According to a Gallup survey, an actively disengaged employee costs their organisation $3,400 for every $10,000 of salary. This survey estimated that actively disengaged employees cause American companies somewhere between $450 and $550 billion in lost productivity every year. On the contrary, by increasing a company’s engagement by just 10%, profits can increase by $2,400 per employee per year. It is not difficult to understand why. Having a workforce that is disenchanted and has no passion for what it does will not only create a negative work environment, but will never give 100% to the organisation. They are essentially sleepwalking through their weekdays and just about managing to keep their jobs. On the other hand, employees who feel valued and engaged at their workplace enjoy being at work, are highly productive and emotionally invested in creating value for their organisations. Engaged employees are also 87% less likely to leave the organisation than the disengaged ones. Wellness programmes to improve life 

The need for better employee engagement has resulted in a growing number of organisations crafting dedicated wellness programs for their workers even if the business benefits are not always tangible in the short term. Wellness programs encompass a wide range of initiatives that promote a sense of physical and mental well-being. Such programs include offering healthy snacks, encouraging fitness goals, allowing flexi timings and offering a generous sick leave policy and work from home options, among others. 

Focus on health: Free fruit, anybody?

 One of the major downsides of excessive work pressure is health taking a backseat for most people. This includes both a substitution of an adequately nutritious diet by unhealthy junk food and lack of time for physical exercise. Health-centric wellness programs aim to tackle these two areas by offering healthy snacks at work and providing time and space for workout sessions. In many western countries, wellness-at-work promoters are actively promoting the idea of offering free fresh fruit and vegetables at work to improve the health and wellness of employees. A research conducted by the Fruitful Office, a workplace fruit supplier in the UK found that providing fresh fruit at people’s desks increases employee’s productivity by more than 10 per cent, boosts their energy levels and encourages them to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Over 75% said the provision of free fruit made them feel more valued while over 80 per cent thought this improved their quality of life at work.

 Similarly, providing workout equipment as well as promoting employees to exercise within the office schedule is another trend that is gaining momentum. Apart from making the employees feel more valued, these initiatives also aim to invest in having a healthier workforce, reduce absenteeism and increase productivity.

 Flexible work and happy ergonomics

 In a constantly connected world, employees today are rarely offwork. This persistent always-onthe-job nature of work burns out people and tends to overwhelm them further underlining need for a well-being oriented workplace. Seating ergonomics, biophilic design, abundant availability of natural light and a flexible office culture that lays minimal emphasis on protocols is the recipe for wellness.

 Allowing flexible timings and more work from home options enforces an environment of trust at workplace. It respects your employees’ personal needs and contributes to their overall wellness. Similarly, having a generous sick leave policy rather than forcing employees to join work in a halfrecuperated state is another vital element that makes employees feel valued, cared for and motivated. 

Employee assistance programs 

Human beings often need assistance, much more than professional assistance. This is the idea behind ‘employee assistance programs’ being offered by a number of organisations today. These programs aim to provide professional counselling services to employees who might be struggling with personal problems and motivational issues, with its effect reflecting on their work. The success of such programs however depends delicately on ensuring confidentiality as well as assuring employees of confidentiality of information they share. Interestingly, a survey commissioned by staffing firm OfficeTeam in the US found that as many as 73 percent of surveyed job seekers took into account a company’s health and wellness package while considering a position. In India this trend is catching up and is expected to gain more strength in the years to come. 

The writer is Vice President, Human Resource, Sun Life Financial Asia Service Centre. 

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