Before discussing the need for wellness events in corporate life, perhaps what is of prime importance is to understand the true meaning behind the word wellness itself. The prominent misconception is that wellness includes only mental well-being. Mention of wellness events or activities is often misunderstood as a mere meditation class of some kind. While mental well-being is an integral part of what constitutes as wellness, the true definition of wellness also includes physical and social well-being. An individual that is physically fit, mentally stable and maintains healthy relationships in his/her social life is the epitome of someone taking care of his wellness.
Wellness events began as a mere fad among large corporations in the form of employee perks. However, with changing times, it has been recognized that wellness events are an integral aspect of organizational success. Today, even small or mid-sized organisations have made wellness events an integral part of their calendars and HR strategies. Here are a few reasons why the inclusion of wellness events is of utmost importance to every organisation:
- Boosting Employee Productivity & Focus
With working hours becoming longer and the lines between personal and professional lives blurring, employees spend more time in the office than they do at home rejuvenating and gearing up for the next day. This phenomenon can cause excessive stress, health issues and most importantly lower employee productivity. Regular wellness events integrated into the corporate calendars can provide employees with a way to hit the refresh button on a periodic basis. Additionally, wellness events showcase the amount of concern and care an organisation has towards its employees. This kind of gesture can motivate employees towards a happier and therefore more productive time at work. Wellness events promote healthy living with stress-free minds thus, improving the employees focus at work.
- Reduction of Absenteeism
Perhaps the biggest hamper of an organisation’s smooth functioning is increased absenteeism. Due to high work stress and extended working hours, employees are more susceptible to illnesses and significant lifestyle health risks. Reports have shown that through wellness events, absenteeism can be reduced by a significant amount. By improving the lifestyles of employees, they are less exposed to health risks and therefore, reduce absenteeism thereby, making the organization more efficient.
- Improves Interpersonal Relations
Wellness is also about having a healthy social life and therefore, wellness events constitute activities and sessions that focus on interpersonal relations. Such events foster a place to work on group dynamics and create bonds with other employees. Thus, wellness events play a significant role in maintaining harmony in the organisation by reducing interpersonal conflicts among employees.
- Recruitment & Retention Benefits
Wellness events are a testament to the importance an organisation gives its employees. Studies show that wellness events contribute significantly to reduce employee turnover. In research by the American Psychological Association, almost 50% less employees intended to quit their jobs in organisations that implemented wellness events. This leads to a better employer branding for the organisation through word-of-mouth and thus, it also helps the organisation attract better talent.
Organising wellness events can be expensive and requires a great amount of planning for perfect execution making the idea of hosting them a cumbersome idea for organisations. However, with the growth in the popularity of such events in the corporate work culture, many companies outsource the planning and execution of such events through specialized event management firms. Such firms can not only take the hassle of thinking every detail of the organisation but also deliver lower costs due to their industry connections. Keeping in mind the benefits of periodical wellness events outweigh its costs, they should definitely be an important part of any organisation’s calendar regardless of their stature.
This article has been contributed by Azhar Morani, Division Head, Dome Corporate
