Navigating Workplace Evolution: Insights On Work-Life Balance, DEI And Well-Being

Achieving work-life balance, fostering diversity and inclusion and prioritising employee well-being have become essential components of organisational success. Suma PN, Director- Human Resources and Board Member, Otis India shares her views on the critical aspects that shape modern workplaces. From adapting to evolving priorities to cultivating a culture of respect and support, she highlights how organisations are navigating the changing tides of employee engagement and empowerment.

How do employees prioritise achieving work-life balance in 2023, and have their priorities evolved over time? 

As the future of work continues to change globally post pandemic, organisations have begun modifying their approach towards work-life integration through technological advancements, hybrid work environment and employee involvement. This have enabled greater degree of flexibility, allowing elements of both work and life, to gradually flow into each other.    

Progressive organisations are committed to investing in digitisation, providing colleagues easy accessibility to the tools to deliver accurate and timely outcomes, ethically. Digital aids support in fostering self-learning, collaboration and managing performance. Digital automation is felt in all spheres of life, be it, the numerous online outsourcing options available to ease routine domestic chores, healthcare, elderly care, child support etc. Wellbeing discussions are taking a center stage in the organisations with increased awareness of physical and mental health. There is opportunity to have more synergy and manage the boundaries between personal and professional life so that they co-exist. Taking incremental steps, work-life integration can help one to reduce the stress and guilt, thereby increasing the happiness leading to more fulfilled life. 

What measures can be taken to address gender-related challenges that women may face in the male dominated industries such as workplace harassment or gender-based discrimination? 

The right organisational culture, solid value system, active leadership involvement, commitment through meaningful actions and behaviors without unconscious bias are foundational to creating and sustaining an inclusive workplace where every voice is heard, one feels safe and respected. 

An inclusive culture is characterised by two aspects: Structure and Behavior.  Structure is having the right policies, processes, practices and programmes driving sustainable inclusive behavior. Behavior is demonstrating an inclusive mindset, while making the organisational decisions.  This could be an individual decision or collective decisions.

Equipping the managers with the right orientation, elimination of unconscious bias at the hiring stage itself by adequately training the hiring managers, creating a gender-neutral organisation, sponsorship programmes to accelerate the progress of gender diversity and under-represented communities, recognising positive behaviors will bring about a shift in the mindset. The aim should be to create safe spaces where everyone is able to bring one’s authentic whole self to work, every single day.

Dedicated structures like DE&I Council, Wellbeing Council, Sustainability Council, CSR Council, POSH etc. with clear objectives, responsibility and accountability will attract lot more employee involvement. Ongoing Pulse Surveys will help to measure the employee engagement levels and confidence in the leadership team. Anonymous and confidential redressal channel encourages colleagues to speak up, should they face any kind of harassment. Having a retaliation policy will encourage the colleagues to speak up.  Periodic meetings of committee members are essential to review progress made on programmes and initiatives around creating a respectable workplace.

What kind of training or mentorship should be given to help women employees advance their careers towards leadership positions? 

All starts with women colleagues coming forward and raising their hand for opportunities. If talented women colleagues choose to stay silent, are not self-motivated in claiming their rightful seat at the leadership table, are creating roadblocks for themselves, and hampering their own future. Career advancement programmes aimed at developing women colleagues can only succeed, if the women themselves ‘raise their hands confidently’ and take complete ownership of their career growth & development.  

Progressive organisations have multiple platforms and development opportunities for women. Focused development programmes for high potential women at mid and senior level, cross functional trainings, Executive coaching, Professional Mentoring programmes, Internal mentoring programme of senior women mentoring younger women, leadership connects, women’s councils.   

Online self-learning modules, challenging assignments, sponsorship to external seminars and continuous encouragement to speak up at internal and external forums are some of the additional measures that support leadership development of women colleagues.

What are some indicators to track the progress of achieving diversity and inclusion goals?  

Leadership involvement and visible commitment is a major indicator to keep DE&I goals in check. 

A dedicated body or council that can guide, direct and closely monitor activities under an organisations DE&I Agenda is essential.  Periodic reviews by senior leadership and management team to evaluate the work done, progress achieved and intervening at the right time to support or guide helps to keep the programmes on track.  It is easy to come up with a good idea and implement, but it is much harder to sustain the programme. Instead of having too many fragmented programmes, have specific impactful programmes which allows larger employee participation.  Publicly celebrating key milestones achieved under DE&I, earmarking key dates like International Men’s Day, Women’s Day, Mental Health Awareness Day etc., have proved to be effective indicators.

What gets measured, gets focus. Regular reporting of key diversity metrics, gender representation indices, diversity talent mobility, career advancement opportunities provided to diverse talent, attrition & retention of key talent are few indicators to track the progress of achieving DE&I goals.

How has the emphasis on employee well-being and mental health support transformed in the workplace over the years?  

Today the focus is on overall health and wellbeing. It is now established that mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing are interlinked. Further, it is also known fact, that if any single member of the family is unwell, it does affect the state of mind of the colleague at work. Family health and happiness is a key influencer and hence today’s organisations are extending wellness benefits not only to colleagues but also to the family.  

Healthy workplace programme includes overall wellbeing; focus on physical activity, heathy eating, tobacco usage, managing stress and shifting mindset. Company sponsored, ‘Employee Wellbeing and Assistance Programmes’ today cater to needs of the colleague and their families by making available, 24/7 counselling service in multiple languages through professional counsellors, online stress control, diet and nutrition counselling, and various online & offline sessions on building resilience and mindfulness. Adopt a targeted early intervention strategy, encouraging colleagues with mental health disorders, chronic medical issues to seek psychological and medical support, at early stages of the disease. Leverage Senior Leaders, People Managers, DE&I Council Members, Wellness Champions for the same.  Recognising the need, today organisations are extending the insurance benefit for psychiatric treatment. 

Over the years, wellness has transformed from only focusing on physical wellness to now a more wholistic approach, focusing on the mental and physical wellbeing of colleagues and their families, as well.