Employee well-being is typically looked at from only a lens of providing a safe workspace to workers. However, according to the International Labor Organization, employee well-being “relates to all aspects of working life, from the quality and safety of the physical environment, to how workers feel about their work, their working environment, the climate at work and work organization”. 

Covid-19 pandemic brought employee health and well-being into renewed focus with struggles of overwork and diminishing boundaries between personal and professional life emerging as a consequence of remote work. In October 2019, a Gartner report highlighted that only 13% employees were largely satisfied at work and 46% were in fact highly dissatisfied at work. As employees now return to office amid the new normal, employee welfare programs are becoming a key component in organisations’ policies. 

Why is Investing in Employee Well-Being Important?

Amongst several drivers of employee well-being, the workplace where employees spent significant amount of time is a critical factor. The future of office must be designed keeping the holistic well-being of its users at the core. The pandemic has reinforced that a sustainable office building providing highest standards of air filtration, day light illumination and connection with art, nature and biophilia is not just good to have, but now imperative. Organisations are now evaluating decisions in investments and partnerships based on their impact on employees. Let’s understand some of the impacts of positive employee well-being:

• Better employee engagement and productivity: Company culture is an important piece of the puzzle around employee well-being. Culture dictates the kind of work environment employees are coming to work in and creates a sense of belongingness. Post pandemic, companies globally are facing ‘Great Attrition’ as detailed out in an article published by McKinsey and Company – ‘Great Attrition or Great Attraction? The Choice is yours’. As per the research, top three reasons for quitting were that they did not feel valued by their organizations or by their manages or because they did not feel sense of belonginess at the workplace.   A collaborative culture creates a more engaged and happier workforce, which in turn benefits the organisation by boosting productivity. “A study conducted by economists at the University of Warwick found that happiness led to a 12 percent spike in productivity, while unhappy workers were 10 percent less productive.”
• Lower employee turnover: Taking a few simple steps to ensure your employees are staying healthy can help lower absenteeism rates at your organization. A report by RAND noted that introducing an employee well-being program has reduced employee absenteeism for about 78% of the organizations surveyed. For instance, modern developments like Max Towers provide multi-cuisine nutritious options for meals at their premises, allowing employees to make healthier food choices. The fitness center and sports amenities like cricket cage, badminton court, table tennis area and more take this a step further by uniting work and exercise, promoting a more active, and thus healthier lifestyle.
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• Prevent employee burnout: Ensuring provisions for relaxation and rejuvenation at work help avoid mental exertion and help promote positive mental health in employees. Many enterprises are implementing mindfulness programs in their workplaces in order to help their employees deal with work stress and anxiety in the office environment. Several global organizations such as Google and Intel already provide mindfulness training to their employees.
  At Max Towers, an exclusive meditation room has been created for the use of its tenants, which allows them to rejuvenate themselves in the middle of the work day as well.

• Attract better talent: The newer generation of employees is evaluating prospective employers by their wellness focus and policies. Nearly 54% of Gen Zers and 58% of millennials consider company wellness programs important or extremely important when making a job decision. Recent research highlights the following statistics about wellness programs and employee recruitment and retention:
• 87% of employees consider health and wellness packages when choosing an employer.
•  67% of employees who work for organizations with wellness programs like their jobs more and this same percentage is extremely or very likely to recommend their employer to others.
• 45% of employees working at small to medium-size companies would stay at their jobs longer because of their employers’ wellness programs.

How Can You Prioritize Employee Well-Being?

Here are a few simple yet effective steps you can take to make sure your employees are staying healthy:

• Sitting in one spot throughout the day can cause your employees’ health to deteriorate and create postural issues. Building spaces for collaboration and rejuvenation can help employees break the inertia of long work hours at their desk.
• Creating a confluence of collaborative spaces both for work, and for social interactions like lunch and coffee breaks, fosters improved employee satisfaction. An open layout with efficient workplace design goes a long way in promoting cross-hierarchical communication as well, allowing enhanced learning opportunities, as well as open dialogue.
• Natural Light: “Exposure to the daily cycles of natural light is critical for synchronizing the hormone cycles that regulate our energy, metabolism, mood, sleep and overall health and well-being.” Due to the conventional designs of offices, employees often do not get enough natural light and sunshine. Max Square’s unique design is created to ensure 80% of the entire floor plate receives natural light, boosting employee health.
• Biophilic Design: According to a study by Harvard Business Review, looking at anything green in the workplace — whether through a window, on a stroll outdoors, or even on a screen saver — can boost attention and performance. According to the attention restoration theory, natural surroundings provide us with restorative advantages. It proposes that exposure to nature is not only enjoyable but can also help us improve our focus and ability to concentrate. Looking at natural areas allows us to refill our reservoirs of attention control because nature catches our attention without needing us to focus on it. 
  Max Estates’ upcoming development Max Square allows its users to interact with nature in the ~11000 sq ft central forest courtyard at the heart of the development, leading to lower stress and higher employee satisfaction.
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• Air Quality: Employees spend much of their day in the office space. It is vital to provide protection from both outside and inside pollutants. This can be achieved by installing an energy-efficient cooling system and advanced filtration systems in the building.
  At Max Square, Noida, Max Estates’ looks to provide the freshest air in our buildings with ESP filters. An Air Quality Monitor will capture & display pollutants PM1.0, PM2.5, PM 10, CO2, TVOC, and the AQI. At Max House, post COVID Max Estates transitioned to UV installation in our AHUs as well as increased fresh air intake, ensuring our CO2 levels do not rise, and the same air is not circulated from one floor to the other.
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• To create a work environment that contributes greatly to the mental and physical well-being of all employees, Max Estates has come up with the WorkWell philosophy. At Max Estates, we make sure to follow the mantra ‘a work environment that is good for people is great for business’ in all our designs. Each structure by Max Estates follows our WorkWell philosophy and uses smart materials for sustainable design. Office spaces include state-of-the-art fitness centers, recreational areas to boost creativity, three-tier air filtration technology, and CO2 sensors, and green spaces. Safety measures like periodic sanitization of the workplaces and the use of antimicrobial coatings are also provided.Max Estates’ developments have been built keeping the above, and more in mind. Through their unique WorkWell philosophy, they ensure they take care of the physical and emotional well-being of our tenants by providing the highest level of air and water filtration, sanitation, nutrition, and comfort, enabled by technology, as well as enabling community engagement and recreation through our carefully curated amenities and events.Based on the WELL standard, the WorkWell philosophy envisions an environment built around enhancing and enriching work and life, allowing one to truly ‘WorkWell’.