This is, to a certain extent, backed up by data. A recent survey by Cigna Insurance Middle East found that 81 percent of respondents agreed that workplace wellness initiatives are important in choosing between two employers.
Except it’s not that simple. The study pointed to a distinct mismatch between theory and practise, with UAE residents having experienced a decline in wellness during the past year due to work pressures. Only 23 percent of respondents said they exercise on a regular basis compared to 29 percent in 2017, while 45 percent said they get sufficient sleep compared to 49 percent the previous year.
Furthermore, three in five respondents said they do not have any formal workplace wellness programme in place, and half claimed they do not receive adequate support in dealing with stress.
All of which leads to a more nuanced conclusion: companies understand the importance of wellbeing schemes and plan to introduce them… but many haven’t done so yet. While employees say it’s an important factor, yet are working harder than before in their current job.
In this edition of Inside AB, Bernd Debusmann and Jeremy Lawrence as the question: what do you care most about when it comes to choosing your employer? A company that says it cares about your wellbeing, or the one paying the highest salary?
(Source: Arabianbusiness.com YouTube channel)
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