I think the HR function has a moral responsibility towards employees to help them achieve well-being. The good news is that, fulfilling this moral obligation makes a lot of business sense too.
In one of my previous articles, I’d mentioned that I developed chronic health issues due to the pressure I was putting on myself. I was working long hours in a day, every day, and my own health always took a backseat to my professional duties. I was so busy giving my all to my work that I didn’t realize that my lifestyle was taking a toll on my health. Eventually, this made me ponder the importance of corporate wellness initiatives that nurture good health in employees. So whose responsibility it is to initiate these health and wellbeing programs?
The key Q for me as an HR leader was, is it the company’s duty to ensure the continuing health and well-being of its employees? Yes, it is! And I’ve also come to the conclusion that the onus of crafting and implementing corporate wellness initiatives lies on us – the HR group of a company.
Here’s why?
HR is the conscience keeper
According to a report from The Manpower Group, the Indian millennial spends an average of 52 hours per week in the office. This means that employees spend a substantial portion of their time at work. They also invest a significant amount of physical and emotional energy in the workplace. Most employees try to give their best efforts to their work. Honestly, they are encouraged to overachieve. Many organizations urge their staff to give their 150%. While that is statistically impossible, it seems to be the expectation. When the employees are expected to give their all (and more), shouldn’t the organization do its bit for them? I believe that it is the moral responsibility of the organization to create an environment where employees can tend to their mental and physical health. It is a part of our psychological contract with our employees.
It’s good for business
Healthy employees are good for business for 2 reasons:
1. Firstly, healthy employees drive an increase in productivity and the creation of an overall positive work environment. The linkage is quite direct. An individual who is physically and mentally healthy will automatically have the energy and drive to honestly focus on work, and this can be motivational for all those around them to perform well, too. On the other hand, ill-health and fatigue drive absenteeism, lack of concentration, and employees will be unable to fully utilize their potential. Physical and psychological illnesses are often interlinked. Clearly, if we want to create a positive, performance-focused, work culture we have to focus on the health and well-being of the employees to be able to do so.
2. Secondly, employees especially the millennials are not depending on work only to make their lives meaningful. Organizations have to therefore communicate to employees their intent to add value and meaning to employees on aspects beyond work. Therefore, helping them achieve good health will only increase their employer brand value.
So crudely speaking its killing two birds with one stone.
HR is in the best position to craft and execute these initiatives
Yes, we, in HR, are the ones who should drive these initiatives home. And there are many reasons why this task must fall to us.
A. No one knows the workforce like how we know them
Good HR keeps its finger on the pulse of people. We maintain a rapport with each employee. I’m sure many of you have had lengthy discussions with staff and gotten to know details about that specific individual’s family background and lifestyle. The conversations we have with our employees also give us insight into their temperament, personality, and work style. It’s part of our role to know what the people are thinking, what motivates them, what concerns them, and the specific circumstances that they work under. Given this insight, we are best placed to assess which initiatives would be suitable and for whom.
B. Budget control
A comprehensive wellness campaign would have to include a plan complete with an estimated budget for each initiative. Since it is the HR that owns the budget for all activities associated with employee development and employee engagement, it’s only logical that we should have the responsibility to figure out which initiatives need funding and where the money is likely to have the most impact. From experience, I know there aren’t any easy answers. Its only through continuous evaluation of simple metrics that can give direction to initiatives to maximize ROI.
C. Assessment of the impact of healthcare initiatives
We work day in and day out with performance management systems. In fact, it’s fair to say that any HR initiative worth its name is measured, tracked, and reported on diligently. My view is that it should be no different when it comes to initiatives regarding the health and wellness of our employees. Our experience of tracking and monitoring HR initiatives will help us while trying to assess the effectiveness of the wellness initiatives. We can define the right parameters to track, the strategic value of the initiatives, and the goals to aim for. This way, we are uniquely positioned to streamline the process and focus on the things that would most benefit the company’s employees and assess how fast progress is being made.
These are all good reasons to believe that we in HR are best-equipped to initiate and implement the employee health and wellness initiatives.
I do agree that we are not there yet. But the good news is that this is not due to lack of intent. Most of the HR leaders I talk to truly feel for their employees – the question so far has been “how to do something about it that rises above the merely symbolic and becomes comprehensive and strategic?”
I guess it is time for HR to take charge of the health and wellbeing of the employees and drive the change.
