Almost two thirds (65 per cent) of business managers in the UAE said their company’s corporate wellness programmes had improved the health of their employees, according to a new report.

Nearly half of respondents (48 per cent) said that corporate wellness programmes had improved employee engagement, 35 per cent said the schemes had reduced business costs, while 24 per cent said the rate of workplace accidents had been reduced, said the survey carried out by Meed, a top Middle East business intelligence provider.

Dr Michael Bitzer, CEO at National Health Insurance Company – Daman said: “The work place is where most people spend at least a third of their day. From the perspective of the general well-being of an individual it then becomes imperative that the environment that they spend so much time in supports wellness. Employers must take necessary steps to ensure that work environments remain inspiring and pleasant as that motivates staff and keeps them positive. Positivity, as we all know, influences productivity.”

“We are delighted with the feedback that a majority of the businesses utilising corporate health and wellness programmes have found them to be effective in improving the health of their employees. Such programmes, as demonstrated by winners of previous awards, are scalable to suit every budget and workplace– from organising weekly walks around the local park to broad programmes involving experts and specialists’ venues,” he added.

Meed carried out the survey in 72 of the UAE’s top firms with well-established corporate wellness programmes ahead of the 2016 Daman Corporate Health Awards, which recognises the best employers in the UAE for their commitment and success in corporate health and wellness.

Managing workload is by far the biggest cause of stress in the workplace, according to the survey. Almost half of respondents (49 per cent) said that workload was the main source of stress, with 24 per cent saying that juggling work and personal life was the main factor. Other causes of stress include lack of job security (14 per cent) and issues with colleagues (6 per cent).

The concept of happiness has been a hot topic in the UAE this year since Ohood al Roumi was announced the country’s first Minister of State for Happiness in February.

In March Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, approved a 100-day national programme for happiness and positivity. The programme features several initiatives focusing on government policies and community development, including benchmarks to measure happiness with dedicated employees to ensure client satisfaction.

The Meed survey found that 62 per cent of respondents considered themselves and their colleagues “happy the majority of the time at work”.  Some 12 per cent of those surveyed said they were not happy the majority of the time, with 27 per cent responding that they were indifferent.

The 2016 Daman Corporate Health Awards will be held at The Westin in Abu Dhabi, UAE on November 9.  – TradeArabia News Service