Work place wellness is relatively a novel concept; it is yet to be taken seriously and given the importance it deserves.. In India some companies have tied up with hospitals for annual medical check up for their executive level employees. Few companies, where the union had demanded for it, have extended it to the non executive employees as well. Beyond that, nothing much has been done to view "Wellness" as an important factor that impacts not only employee welfare but also company productivity and results. In our discussion during this A2Z challenge of #Blogchatter, we have been seeing how all the topics discussed are inter-related and contribute holistically to the success of an organization.
It is when disasters like that of Covid 19 hits that we realize the importance of having a good health system in place, at the company level. Further, in the present times, the employees are under a lot more mental pressure at work than earlier times. They have to content with not only additional pressure at work but also deal with family challenges of bringing up children with both parents working, keeping up with the joneses and having to look good on social media. The wellness program of the company would be a boon helping to alleviate the pressure to a considerable extent.
Identifying the health status of employees engaged in potentially risky operations in a manufacturing plant through periodical health check up (annually for others) followed by treatment, educating employees on how to stay healthy, including avoiding unhealthy behaviours like is a good starting point for a wellness initiative. Wellness programs can include awareness programs on the ill effects of smoking/drinking, weight management, stress caused by both work and personal related factors, depression etc. as also classes for physical fitness, yoga and mindfulness.
The 9 dimensions of 'wellness' are physical, emotional, financial, spiritual, social, career, intellectual, creative and environmental. Support in each of these areas will go a long way in ensuring the wetness of employees. The bane of the modern day living is a lack of connectedness. Humans, being social animals, require opportunities to feel connected with each other. Organizations can provide opportunities for social interaction at work and also by conducting sports and cultural activities inter-departmentally on special occasions like the Foundation day of the company. Employees can be encouraged to value rest and recreation providing them time and place for relaxation and meditation ( The initiatives/practices of Ace Manufacturing Systems, Bangalore can be read here).
The 'wellness' initiative should be spearheaded by a dedicated team that includes company doctor and other members with relevant experience. The wellness team can chalk out an annual program and allotted budget for the various activities during the year. Counselling facilities is an important requirement to help employees deal with stress. The wellness team may take support of outside experts such as a life style coach or a nutritionist from time to time. The lifestyle coach can address specific issues such as depleted energy levels, sleep deprivation, lack of social life, bad personal habits like smoking & drinking, lack of a feeling of being motivated at work etc.
It is not as if one size fits all. The company's wellness team in consultation with employees can come up with the unique 'wellness' needs and issues of the organization which can then be addressed. The team can also track progress of the health targets and measure benefits accrued in terms of productivity and other parameters. A successful wellness program should have a blend of activities that address the 9 various dimensions of wellness mentioned earlier (physical, emotional, financial, spiritual, social, career, intellectual, creative and environmental).
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