World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (illness).” WHO defines wellness as “the optimal state of health of individuals and groups,” and wellness is expressed as “a positive approach to living.”  After having worked in the corporate world for more than four decades I have experienced the same and cannot agree more , to this concept of the WHO.

If we look back at industry, we realise that organisations primarily focussed on physical health of their employees.  This was starting with pre-employment checks, routine medical check ups ,to maintain good physical health and ensure employees are able to give their best in their roles, within the organisation.  This was also stipulated by labour legislations, which mandates periodic medical check ups for certain roles.

However, as organisations became more pragmatic and grew beyond the narrow lanes of what labour legislations mandates, they started looking at employee wellness in a more holistic manner. Many progressive organisations in India and outside employed counsellors and other healthcare professionals to support employee wellness.  They realised that employee wellness was an optimal state of health of individuals and groups , as the WHO has proclaimed.

As a next step, organisations realised that employee is an integral part of the family as a social institution and hence we need to care not only for the employee but for the family as a whole.  This led to periodic medical check ups of spouses and other family members.  Many leading organisations also tied up with external wellness organisations to provide support to employees and their family members to tide over physical, mental, emotional and social stress through professional help.

The pandemic has helped organisations and individuals to realise that apart from physical and mental health, emotional and social health are critical for the well being of the employee.  This has led to organisations moving beyond their boundaries and providing support for employees, family members and communities ,for overall well being.

I personally realised during the pandemic and thereafter, the value of emotional support to the vulnerable  individuals and groups.  I volunteered for a support group called “the goodwill tribe” and wrote “letters of love” to help individuals to tide over emotional distress in different forms.  This was not only an awakening for me ,but made me realise the value of emotional anchoring as a role for managers and team leaders in organisations.

It is now the time to realise that employee well being is much beyond employee wellnesss.  All of us and especially team leaders and managers have to evolve as “emotional anchors” to employees , as their health is beyond physical and they need emotional, psychological and social support in different forms ,to survive and grow.

This concept of well being beyond wellness ,has to applied by individuals and groups within families, in the communities they live and society at large.  After all, we never know who is in distress , when and what type of support individuals or groups need at any time.

Let us together resolve to work on overall well being of society from today.

S Ramesh Shankar

7th July 2022