By: Dinesh Chandra

Why Build a Wellbeing Culture in your workplace?

Today a major issue in the post pandemic world is Employee Wellbeing. Not surprising, current priorities of the US Surgeon General is workplace wellbeing. Here is some startling data from their report:

• 76% U.S. workers reported at least one symptom of a mental health condition.
• 84% of respondents said their workplace conditions had contributed to at least one mental health challenge.
• 81% of workers reported that they will be looking for workplaces that support mental health in the future.

There are companies, that care about their employee wellbeing. However, for the most part, their focus is on financial support and assistance, in addition to wages, and community projects, similar to initiatives offered under Corporate Social Responsibility. Only a few are building a ‘Wellbeing culture’ in which employees can thrive, as opposed to the current overworked and overstressed workplace environment.

A primary reason for the current stalemate appears to be a lack of faith in the ROI of investments made for ‘Wellbeing.’ This prompted Jim Purcell, former CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield to create the ‘Returns on Wellbeing Institute’. “It will take leaders”, says Rajeev Dube, (former Group President of HR and corporate Services at Mahindra & Mahindra and currently South Asia’s ’s representative to the Governing Board of Internal Labor Organization), “who truly believe that creating a wellbeing culture will result in Productivity, Creativity and Innovation. To institutionalize wellbeing culture it must be a high priority which requires commitment and resources.”

Organizations that take the lead in creating a culture of wellbeing will reap the benefits. The time is ripe to treat employees as a ‘whole being’ and not treat them as, what, Liz Wiseman refers to as “sliced employees” where we ignore their emotional, mental and spiritual sides.

What will it take to build a Wellbeing Culture?

I started my journey of culture change at Coulter Corporation (Now Beckman Coulter) and learned that it can either start from the top if there is a visionary leader who believes in it, or from the rank and file. It takes a leader anywhere inside the organization, to create a prototype of change within his team, and soon it attracts widespread attention and can spread across the organization.

How can we create a culture of wellbeing in our communities?

Towards this end, we have begun hosting Community of Wellbeing gatherings, at homes, at community centers, with small groups, organizing hikes, and other similar activities, to facilitate a thoughtful discussion in a relaxed atmosphere. We are learning a great deal about how to create Communities of Wellbeing so simply stated in the ancient wisdom: “Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah, Sarve Santu Niramayah” meaning “May all be happy and healthy”. 

The question we have to continue asking ourselves is, how can we use our collective wisdom to create this culture in the new workplace?

Dinesh Chandra