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Need more evidence of the growth of workplace wellness programs? You might want to look, then, at the UAE.
The National, Abu Dhabi Media's first English-language publication, reports that “companies in the Emirates are gradually realising that investing in sustainable wellness programmes can have a positive effect on company growth and employee satisfaction.”
“A GCC Compensation and Benefits Trends study in 2014 also underscores that desire among employers in the region. More than half of the 160 employers interviewed said they have some form of an employee-wellness programme in place, and some stated they are working on introducing or revamping schemes based on employee surveys.”
One tactic being used is company fitness challenges. More important, however, seems to be consistency: Companies maintaining their programs over time.
Said one employee: “That’s the thing about a long-standing wellness programme at work. The culture is ingrained among the staff, so everyone encourages you to lead a healthy lifestyle. And the knock-on effect is that, when a company seems committed to your well-being, you want to be an efficient worker.”
One firm in UAE offering help to companies reported that “its employees resulted in a 32 per cent drop in absenteeism, with productivity going up by 52 per cent in 2013.”
And some of the programs in the region go beyond fitness. According to the piece: “Physical activity is only one dimension of corporate wellness. Nutrition awareness and disease management are equally important. Oil and gas companies in the Emirates have had such programmes for years as a way to retain employees.”
One employee summed up the benefits: “It makes coming to work interesting. We aren’t only talking about work and interacting with our department, but participating in these programmes opens up our interaction with our colleagues in other departments.”