THE Progressive Alliance Towards Healthy Workplaces (PATHw), a Pan-Asia coalition of human resources and business leaders, recently spearheaded an Asia-wide virtual roundtable, titled "Reimagining Healthier Workplaces in Asia", to promote healthier workplaces and employee behaviours in the region.
The virtual roundtable, held in support of Migraine Awareness Week, brought together key leaders from health, human resource and business industries for constructive dialogue on key issues that affect employees at workplaces.
Covid-19 has shown us how vulnerable society is by causing profound impacts on the livelihoods of millions and on economies and in light of this, leaders, workplace environments and collaborations play an important role in building a healthier and more resilient workforce says Novartis global access director, neuroscience, Leonhard Schaetz,
"Our research shows that a great workplace is one in which employees trust the people they work for, have pride in what they do and enjoy the people they work with. Whatever the framework, great workplaces work for both employer and employee. Employers get great results; employees feel appreciated, supported and safe. This foundation is critical to create resilience and to be able to respond to crisis – like Covid-19."
In the foreseeable future, continuing emphasis on employee health and wellness, creating "flexible" workplaces and mindsets, and being intentional about culture and how to maintain it virtually, is a sure path to boosting productivity and development, adds Great Place to Work senior consultant, Tyler Thorpe.
During the discussion, firsthand insights on the impact of migraine on the Singaporean and Malaysian economy were also presented.
"The significant impact of migraine on work productivity and regular activity appears to lead to substantial monetary loss, attributed to not only absenteeism but more importantly to presenteeism," says University Malaya's, deputy dean of its health and wellbeing research cluster, associate professor Dr Ivy Chung.
The Malaysian study presented during the roundtable highlighted the unmet needs in migraine management and the need for a call for awareness and intervention strategies at individual and organisational levels.
The roundtable also underscored key mental health issues that affect employees in the workplace, in light of new working conditions. Key presentations also outlined the importance of sensitising employers about the burden of pain and disability in employees, as well as helping them identify trigger factors to help employees manage these impacts.
The pandemic has accelerated action by employers to kick-start or strengthen their well-being programmes, both to care for their employees and also to control health spend with a focus on preventive health says Mercer's senior principal and Asia consulting leader, Marla Arnall.
"It should come as no surprise that one of the biggest shifts in wellness plan design hinges on digital access to care - 43 per cent of employers in Asia have already or are looking to expand their digital well-being offerings," she says.
The Asia-wide roundtable was attended by participants from different industries and geographies.This was also the first virtual regional event fronted by PATHw.