To increase productivity, more and more companies in India are beginning to take a holistic view of their employees’ health and wellness, which also includes emotional and financial well-being, a study said. The ‘India Health and Well-Being Study 2018′ by Willis Towers Watson found that this year over 80 per cent of the organisations have taken at least one action in health risks or condition management, weight management, physical activity and nutrition and managing employee stress and mental health.While 61 per cent have taken at least one action to improve the financial well-being of employees in 2018, it is a concern that almost half of the surveyed organisations still do not have a formally articulated health and well-being strategy, it said. The study was conducted by the global advisory, broking and solutions company during June to August 2018 and polled over 100 organisations and senior human resource leaders from multiple sectors.A majority 66 percent of employers have already taken, or will take steps in the next three years to develop a mental health strategy, the survey said, adding 59 percent are planning to offer programmes to support chronic behavioural health conditions, which is currently offered by only 8 percent of employers. Similarly, 63 percent already have or are developing a strategy to improve financial well-being and 13 percent are considering it in three years’ time. Towards this, 50 percent companies are planning to deliver customised or personalised messages to help improve financial planning as compared to only 6 percent at present.Willis Towers Watson head of India Rohit Jain said while it is encouraging to observe this increased focus on employee health and wellness, firms must develop a coherent and holistic health and wellness strategy encompassing all four aspects physical, emotional, financial and family – to translate this into all round well-being, enhanced productivity and ultimately improved financial performance. “Both strength training and aerobic activity appeared to be heart healthy, even in small amounts, at the population level,” says Dr Maia P. Smith, who is an assistant professor in the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at St. George’s University in Grenada. She continues, “While static activity appeared more beneficial than dynamic,” the findings also revealed that those who engaged in both kinds of activity “fared better” than those who just increased the amount of only one type.The team analyzed the cardiovascular risk factors against the type of activity and studied the relation between the two to conclude their study.Aerobic activity includes walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, running, dancing and all kinds of sports such as tennis, badminton. On the other hand, push-ups, static rowing, resistance training, and shoulder dips are some examples of strength building exercises.Dr Smith and her colleagues sourced data for their research from the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey on 4,086 adults in the U.S.This included information that individuals gave about types of physical activity they indulged in and whether or not they had any signs of cardiovascular risk factors – including high blood pressure, being overweight, having high cholesterol, and diabetes.The number of employers recognising the role of family in the overall well-being of an employee and in turn their productivity is noteworthy, he said.Some of the initiatives include inviting family members to participate in various programmes and activities (27 per cent) organised by firms, focusing communication to reach or involve family members (24 per cent) and redesigning employee assistance programmes to better address emotional and financial well-being for employees and dependents (44 per cent), according to the study.
