UAE Employers Urged To Treat Workforce Health As Long-Term Investment, Not 'Soft HR' Issue

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) For employers, looking after employee health is no longer simply about offering wellness initiatives or reducing sick days. It is increasingly becoming a business priority, with leaders warning that employees who are physically present but mentally struggling can have a significant impact on productivity and performance.

That was the message from HR and wellbeing leaders speaking at the Future of the Workforce Summit, held at Address Sky View in Dubai on Thursday, where experts brainstormed during a session titled“Rethinking Leadership - From Wellbeing to Workforce Health.”

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The discussion focused on a broader approach to employee wellbeing - one that considers physical and mental health, workplace policies, leadership support and the environment in which employees work.

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For Dr Mansoor Habib, Head of Employee Wellbeing at du, the shift is about recognising people as an organisation's“true capital” rather than viewing wellbeing as an optional initiative.

He shared the example of an employee who suffered a stroke and was fully paralysed, but eventually returned to work after seven months.

“We believed in him. We brought him back to work. We changed his job description. We reduced his working hours. We incorporated him, and we did for him a return-to-work fitness assessment from an occupational health perspective,” he said.

“Fourteen years later, the employee remains with the company," an example, Habib said, of what can happen when organisations build the right support around employees.

'Present' at work does not always mean productive

The conversation also moved beyond traditional measures such as absenteeism.

Ruediger Heim, Group Chief Human Resources Officer, Albatha Group, said employers need to pay closer attention to“presenteeism”, when employees are physically at work but mentally affected by stress, distress or burnout.

He said the impact can go well beyond an individual employee, affecting decision-making, innovation, workplace safety and the workload carried by colleagues.

“People may be present physically at work, but mentally they are not there. They are distressed. They burn out,” Heim said.“That number has an effect on production.”

He added,“At the end of the day, when we talk about presenteeism, mental wellbeing is super important and can also be measured in terms of productivity and performance. What does it mean for us? It means we need early warning signals. We look at absenteeism, obviously; we look at engagement rates, turnover, grievance rates and accidents. All these early warning signals give us a good indication of how we are doing with regards to presenteeism.”

The issue, he added, should no longer be dismissed as a“soft HR topic”, given its direct connection with productivity and performance.

Carole Khalife, General Manager, S&G, Willis Towers Watson, similarly urged employers to view their people as a long-term investment - and to invest in their health accordingly.

“It is no longer just a personal issue,” she said, pointing to the impact employee health can have on productivity, presenteeism and absenteeism.

Khalife also stressed the importance of confidentiality when employers seek to understand employees' health needs.

“As an employer, I would not suggest any organisation doing this exercise themselves, but rather through a third party, be it a broker or insurance company. This is what will help employees feel better and safer about sharing the private side of their lives.”

Rising health costs put greater focus on prevention

Sandi Coleman, Associate VP - Human Resources Gulf, Eli Lilly and Company, said the financial implications of workforce health were also becoming harder for employers to ignore.

Health costs across the Middle East and Africa are expected to rise by around 11 per cent, she said, with obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease among the major contributors.

“So, if you think beyond the financial, that obviously contributes to things like increased sick days, decreased productivity, and decreased engagement as well,” Coleman said.

The impact therefore extends beyond insurance budgets, with poor health potentially affecting how effectively employees work and engage with their organisations.

Coleman said HR leaders should take a more holistic view of health and look beyond traditional employee benefits that may continue simply because they have always been in place.

“Outside of asking for more budget, because I think as HR leaders we're always asking for more budget, it would be look beyond the traditional employee benefits and those programmes that are currently on offer. It's time to start looking beyond today and talk to your insurers as well. Look at what they can provide for you and how they will partner with you as the employers to build those programmes up.”

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