The past year has put mental health and well-being in the spotlight, more than ever before. Businesses have readjusted their lenses to focus on well-being at work, with 43% of employers now offering telemedicine, as compared to 29% in 2019. Now although the term ‘well-being’ means different things to different people, it is best described as ‘the state of being comfortable, healthy or happy’. Besides being fundamental to the overall health of an individual, well-being increases resilience, helps people overcome difficulties and enables them to live their best life.
How has the well-being conversation recently changed?
Let’s pause for a moment and glance at the numbers. Market studies show that the global corporate wellness market will be valued at a whopping $66.2 billion by 2027! Although referring to external benchmarks of well-being at work definitely provides a snapshot of what your organization needs, the best way to design a well-rounded well-being program is to ask your employees what they need and want.
When employees feel like they are part of the process and that their opinions matter, it is what attracts, supports, retains and enables them to thrive. With this framework, employees can decide and make time for what’s important to them. Drawing a parallel to a previous blog that I penned down, titled ‘Nurture And Empower – The Key To Retaining Our Best Performers’, I talked about creating a ‘safe space’ so that employees can speak freely without the fear of being judged. A recent report by Grokker revealed that a ‘culture of well-being is the incentive that employees are looking for’, which is a clear indicator that well-being deserves a prominent seat at the corporate table. And all of this brings me to ask the question of the hour:
How do we incentivize employee well-being?
From my own experience, I have learned that taking the holistic route when it comes to well-being is a powerful way to support people and build a positive dialogue. This can help to nurture employee mental health during these tough times. But what does that mean?
On the mental health front, for example, we offer access to counselling services via our partners InnerHour, a platform where our employees are given the opportunity to connect with and speak to a professional counsellor, in a confidential space. In addition to counselling services, InnerHour also provides us with workshops themed around wellness, well-being and other areas which can enhance employee morale and productivity. Keeping up with people’s needs to avail of support even while on the move, the InnerHour App comes with a personalized 28-day plan to aid with coping skills, mindfulness and a range of self-care tools.
GHF has always been a strong advocate of employee well-being and in an attempt to stand together and show appreciation for the hard work that our teams consistently put in, a ‘Switch-Off’ day was announced on Friday, 3rd September 2021 for an extended weekend. With the boundaries between work and recreation often blurring, I believe that it is extremely important that our employees have time to unwind and spend time away from work too. I recently shared my views with HR Katha about how we aim to create a culture where taking breaks is normal and will continue to announce ‘Switch-Off’ days from time to time. You’re more than welcome to read the entire piece here: https://www.hrkatha.com/news/work-life-balance/godrej-housing-finance-makes-taking-time-off-from-work-normal/
From a physical health and safety standpoint, our recent PAN India vaccination drives covered vaccinations for all our employees, their parents, in-laws and support staff.
Enabling holistic well-being at an organizational level also means providing opportunities for employees to support the community at large. For instance, we tied up with Bhoomi, an NGO that bridges the gap between underprivileged children and service enthusiasts to enable our employees to volunteer their time to teach school kids the importance of listening skills and logical reasoning. Covering the financial well-being front, our HR team organized a session for employees about smart ways to invest to help the team learn about financial planning.
Because incentivizing employee well-being is less about perks, and more about putting structures in place that foster a culture of care, especially in a hybrid set-up.
Responding to the workplace well-being call: A leader’s responsibility
Well-being is a culmination of multiple HR practices within an organization. Last year, I was part of an engaging panel discussion on #WorkplaceWell-being by Never Grow Up and discussed the importance of creating a culture of openness at work to enable people to #ContinueTheConversation. Here’s a snippet of my perspective:
“I personally feel that there are multiple things that impact an employee’s well-being. Unless you look at the entire thing holistically, it won’t work. So, starting from the way your jobs are constructed. Starting from the way that you are looking at autonomy. Is there any work-life conflict that your employees are having? How are you training your managers to be empathetic and watch out for, or be able to spot issues and challenges when someone has a mental issue, or a mental problem?”
If you would like to watch the video, click here:
Covid-19 has reshaped our lives in more ways than one. And in my opinion, nurturing a culture of well-being at work is slowly becoming a key indicator of the success of an organization. While leading with empathy, promoting collaboration, encouraging activities that build a sense of community, investing in mental health programs and running dipstick surveys all fall under the purview of an organization’s responsibility towards workplace well-being, the buck doesn’t just stop there.
It is equally crucial for individuals to voice their concerns, take ownership of their personal well-being and provide feedback on policies and procedures. To keep it simple – it is easier and much more valuable to gain employee buy-in if they understand how their well-being affects the organization at large and are committed to building a positive workplace that is ready for what whatever comes next.
Wouldn’t you agree?
Ruhie Pande 