“Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in our charge”. – Simon Sinek.

Well Mr. Sinek did put it right! Leadership is all about caring for those in our charge. I am a firm believer of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Everyone has a certain set of needs that they ought to fulfill to move to their higher needs. Health and wellness are the primary aspect of our lives which require additional attention.

As the head HR for AU bank, I have plethora of igniting initiatives and spunky stories to share. One of them allows me to talk about health and wellness aspects.

 For me, the body and being shall be regarded with utmost sincerity and seriousness.

Being in the service industry, our success is driven by our employees as they are the ones who drive our organization’s performance. Hence investing in the well-being of our employees not only benefits them, but it also benefits our organization. Think of it as an investment in gold jewelry.

1. Your money is safe,
2. You got an accessory to adorn,
3. And you can in-cash it later, alligator!

Health is the gold you carry for life my dear fellow.

Now we have had various discussions over the concern of employee health and wellbeing globally. From reducing their workload, to de-stressing workshops, to slashing their time at work. Yet time and again people have been trying to solve a puzzle with a missing piece.

How to foster employee health when they ‘WORK’ most of their wakeful hours?

That’s a pretty tough challenge to navigate through as employees spend most of their wakeful hours at work, sitting on a chair, their eyes glued to the screen, solving problems, making decisions and being the hero & shero at work. When their contribution is colossal, the reciprocation should also be multifarious.

From having small gentle reminders like taking the stairs, drinking water, remembering to take deep breaths in between and so on, to building a culture that is based on holistic factors that is more long lasting and effervescent. Everything contributes to making a journey of growth and enlightenment.

Now when we talk about employee wellbeing, it is imperative to take a complete picture into consideration. That is their interaction with the external environment, and how it impacts their work morale.  

Do you carry work with you when you are away from work?

There is a theory known as “spillover effect” proposed by Staines in 1980, which talks about the linkage of one event with another. When we apply the basic principles of spillover effect to understand work life balance, the picture gets clear.

Imagine you had a good day at work. All your tasks and to-dos were achieved, your presentation went quite well and even your boss appreciated your new tie. How’s that for a rookie?! Now after you came home, there was an infighting amongst your children for some toys and your wife was upset with your mother (a typical Indian household scenario).

Somehow, you were able to maneuver through these circumstances and handle everyone with suave. Wondering how this happened? Well, that’s the magic of the spillover effect. Because you had a good day at work, the charms spill over at home and made you have a continuous day of joy and fulfillment. 

That’s the thing with spillover effect that it can happen on almost everyday basis. It can lead to work-life enrichment as well as work-life conflict, depending on what we allow it to be for us. For an idyllic life, we can create a healthy balance of engagement and dis-engagement and be more mindful than mindless. 

On similar lines, at office, in the HR system having pre-approved birthday leaves, wedding anniversary leaves and menstruation leaves can be an innovative and supportive initiative for your employees to ensure their wellness and foster inclusivity.

Bridging the gaps to ensure employee wellbeing in your organization.

When it comes to data on employees who are more engaged and use the wellness programs regularly, they're generally healthy as opposed to those who don't participate. In finding out why employees don't participate, employers may find that there could be multiple personal reasons for missing out, like – family responsibility, or financial reasons. To employers, it's about beginning with solving the problem that could impede their employees' health and building from there.

Employers need to be able to take all aspects of employees' wellbeing into account. This could include the introduction of recognition programs, wellness leaves, and community volunteer activities, or the provision of hybrid work environments, where appropriate, health coaching, and on-site walking trails for lunchtimes; or to ensure that employees have a sustainable work and life integration.

A higher rate of employment retention, improved employee health outcomes and a boost in productivity may be achieved by organizations that are working to deal with the needs of their employer’s mind, body, and soul, and at the same time a commitment to healthcare equality and sustainability. The biggest rewards come from the potential to put your employees, their families, and their communities on a path to better health.

Conclusion

Employees flourish in an environment that is not only accepting of their thoughts and opinions but also appreciative of their actions and efforts. Each employee’s contribution matters, and it is for the best of the organization when they focus on “positive organizational behavior”.

To sum up I would like to say – “Engagement at work is enjoyment at work”.  If employees are engaged, they feel like contributing more. They are happier, healthier, and fulfilled with their lives.