How office is getting to be a ‘happy place’ for back-to-work staff

The new office complex of global payments company American Express in Gurugram has a ‘quiet room’ to relax and rejuvenate, outdoor green spaces to promote movement and recreational rooms for activities employees can engage in. “It is a modern, energy-efficient workspace that enables staff to continue driving innovation,” said Sanjay Khanna, CEO & country manager, American Express, India.

PepsiCo India’s headquarters in Gurugram is also designed to be more than just an office. Under its PepFit programme, which is about work-life balance, the company organises running, yoga and dance sessions for staff to stay active and break away from routine workdays.

“A cycle track, treadmills and stationary cycling workstations promote movement, creativity and productivity at the office. Employees can choose their work settings—when and where the work gets done. Due to this flexibility, many employees are choosing to work from the office to engage with their teams on a regular basis. We understand the importance of balancing personal and work life and strive to support our employees in achieving this balance,” said Pavitra Singh, chief human resources officer, PepsiCo India & South Asia.

More and more companies are releasing the need to focus on building employee-friendly office spaces. Workplaces are building a compassionate, ‘happy’ environment to reduce stress, encourage team interaction, and coaching to address well-being of employees returning to workplaces post-pandemic.

Dabur India, Bharti Airtel, InMobi, Zomato, SAP India are some corporates working towards capability building, upskilling, wellbeing, addressing burnout, and career stagnation of employees through supportive mentoring programmes.

“We engage with specialised external partners to conduct assessment centres at our leadership level, deploy external coaches to groom our leadership candidates,” said Biplab Baksi, CHRO, Dabur India, which has a dedicated employee assistance programme.

Companies are also assisting employees in finding fulfilment in their work, thinking beyond creating a cheerful atmosphere, enhancing employees’ personal and professional growth and engaging coaches to fight the great talent war. “Techniques like meditative exercises and mentoring programmes cultivate transparency, team cohesion, stress management, emotional intelligence, and alignment of strengths and aspirations,” said Sahil Mathur, CHRO of mobile advertising platform InMobi Group.

“Companies have started appreciating the importance of coaching and leaders are open to learning new skills. Like athletes, leaders also need a coach to maximise their potential. It helps improve self-awareness and workplace relationships, leading to a better organisation culture,” said Shital Kakkar Mehra, executive presence coach for CXOs across Asia, who has worked with leading MNCs and Indian organisations.

The leadership at Bharti Airtel is taking regular sessions to motivate teams and ensure an open platform to discuss goals for the year. Amrita Padda, chief people officer, Bharti Airtel, said, “We follow a four-pronged approach of physical, social, emotional, and financial wellbeing besides multiple activities like employee communication forum and family days. Apart from health checkups, we promote nutrition and stress management, on-site crèche facilities, and offer a commitment to workplace, travel and women safety.”

Zomato’s in-house wellness team consists of 15 professionals: a chief fitness officer hired in 2023, psychologists, trainers, and coaches. “This wellness team conducts sessions on workplace sensitivity, motivation enhancement, identification of mental health concerns,” said Niharika Mohanty, VP, HR, Zomato.

Mpower, a mental health initiative by the Aditya Birla Education Trust, deals in capacity building workshops in an open office setup. “Employees are assigned a bank of mental health leaves to be availed any time of the year, and office spaces are designed to share an open atmosphere with managers and heads, fun Fridays to prioritise self-care,” said Parveen Shaikh, VP-operations, Mpower.

Business software solutions firm SAP India has over 500 professional coaches to address career development, work-life balance, leadership, conflict and diversity. “Our nine-month mentoring programme in India helps new managers navigate managerial journeys and focus on peer feedback,” said Shweta Mohanty, VP, head of HR, SAP, India.

A recent survey titled ‘Mental Health and Wellness Quotient at the Workplace’ conducted by Mpower with 3,000 corporate employees across 10 sectors, states that 50% employees agree that stress impacts their work productivity, 9 out of 10 employees lack work-life balance, 1 out of 2 employees have faced personal challenging situations impacting mental health, and 48% are at the risk of poor mental health.

Burnout and career stagnation is common while the ‘great resignation’ has prompted companies to investigate the reasons behind employee departures. “Organisations need to tap into the experience provided by mentors, acquire new skills, maintain relevance in the dynamic landscape of work,” said Nishchae Suri, MD, India, Cornerstone OnDemand, a learning and talent tech firm.

As per Tavleen Kaur, associate professor organisational behaviour & HR, FIIB, “Monetary factor isn’t the only reason for employee turnover but it’s the lack of task engagement, sense of belonging, and a clear purpose at work. It’s crucial to cultivate compassionate workplaces where employees find purpose or discover their ikigai.”