Companies make significant efforts to combat staff exhaustion crises
In the rapidly evolving corporate landscape of India, a new focus on employee wellness is emerging. Companies are recognizing the importance of addressing workplace burnout and promoting overall well-being through a combination of digital health initiatives, flexible work models, tailored wellness programs, and culture-building strategies.
Digital-first, Always-on Health Ecosystems
Companies are moving towards continuous, tech-enabled wellness platforms, shifting from episodic health programs. These platforms leverage AI-driven insights and mobile apps to personalize care, focusing equally on physical and mental health.
Tailored Health and Wellness Bundles
Startups, in collaboration with platforms like Onsurity, offer modular subscription plans. These include group health insurance for small teams, discounts on diagnostics and medicines, and access to fitness services. This approach makes wellness accessible and affordable, particularly for SMBs and informal sector employees.
Hybrid and Flexible Work Models
Both startups and MNCs are implementing hybrid work arrangements to reduce burnout and improve work-life balance. This allows employees to work from home and office while maintaining productivity and collaboration.
Mental Health Support and Burnout Prevention
Employee wellness programs are increasingly emphasizing mental health. This includes counseling, stress management initiatives, and creating a supportive work culture that reduces stigma around mental health.
Employee Engagement via Purpose-driven Culture
MNCs are fostering innovation-oriented and inclusive workplaces. They offer personalized career development, intrapreneurship opportunities, and diversity/equity/inclusion initiatives. These measures are designed to enhance employee motivation and retention, indirectly reducing burnout.
Focus on Employee Retention through Comprehensive Benefits
Companies are expanding benefits to include performance bonuses, health insurance, and financial wellness perks. This approach aims to improve retention by addressing stress, disengagement, and financial worries head-on.
These approaches signify a shift from viewing wellness as a peripheral activity to a strategic imperative closely tied to productivity, talent attraction, and retention in the evolving Indian work environment.
Case Studies
- NoBroker: NoBroker's employee care approach includes structured activities such as cricket tournaments, treks, desk yoga, and financial literacy sessions. They also offer personal interventions like confidential professional mental health help, spiritual well-being sessions, nutrition advice, and financial wellness workshops.
- Daimler Truck Innovation Center India (DTICI): DTICI offers workations, wellness leaves, and health check-ups to enable employees to blend work with rejuvenation and prioritize wellbeing.
- Compass Group India: Compass Group India takes a multi-dimensional approach to employee wellness, including mental health helplines, structured rest breaks, and multilingual upskilling.
- Duroflex: Duroflex prioritizes sleep, providing science-backed power nap pods in offices to help employees reboot. They also advocate for digital detox as a means to enhance productivity and mental well-being.
- Mondelez India: Mondelez India deals with employee emotional and financial well-being through year-round initiatives, including multiple finance awareness workshops, car lease programmes, voluntary NPS investment campaigns, and fitness and health programmes.
- MediBuddy: MediBuddy's Co-founder & CEO, Satish Kannan, stated that addressing employee wellbeing requires a structural shift toward OPD-first, digitally-enabled care models that prioritize mental health, inclusivity, and personalisation.
The Impact
Mental health-related OPD claims have risen by 30-50%, and 86% of workers report struggling with mental health issues due to workplace stress. However, 86% of professionals plan to switch jobs in the coming months, despite salary hikes. These statistics underscore the need for companies to prioritize employee wellness.
Amit Kumar Agarwal, CEO of NoBroker, stated that burnout is a real and rising issue, and the company tracks lead indicators like absenteeism, happiness index, and performance drops. Manika Awasthi, Chief People Officer, Compass Group India, stated that these wellness measures foster resilience, leading to better engagement, lower absenteeism, and a workforce that feels genuinely supported.
In conclusion, the corporate world in India is recognizing the importance of employee wellness. By implementing digital health initiatives, flexible work models, tailored wellness programs, and culture-building strategies, companies are aiming to create a healthier, more productive, and more engaged workforce.
- To combat the rising issue of burnout, companies like NoBroker are providing comprehensive employee care, including mental health support, financial literacy sessions, and confidential professional help, in a bid to create a happier and more engaged workforce.
- Recognizing the impact of work-related stress on mental health, MNCs such as MediBuddy are advocating for OPD-first, digitally-enabled care models that prioritize mental health and personalization to support their employees better.
- In an effort to balance work and rejuvenation, companies such as Daimler Truck Innovation Center India (DTICI) are offering workations, wellness leaves, and health check-ups, acknowledging the importance of mental health and well-being in the workplace.
- As part of their employee wellness programs, startups are partnering with platforms like Onsurity to offer affordable and accessible bundles, consisting of group health insurance, fitness services, and discounts on diagnostics and medicines, to address the health and wellness needs of SMBs and informal sector employees.
