People at work spend eight hours every day, five days a week in the workplace. Most workers, from the time they started work up to retirement, would have spent a better part of 25 to 35 years of their life in the workplace. It is common to hear workers say the workplace is like a second home to them and their co-workers members of their extended families.

There are different work environments to which workers are exposed. A lot stay in offices where the companies do their best to provide an environment conducive for work. Air conditioning and proper lighting, work stations that provide for the needs of the workers to be productive, equipment and facilities to enhance efficiency—all these to boost the workers’ productivity. Security and safety are also ensured for the workers’ peace of mind, which adds to their creative and productive pursuits.

Other are exposed to factory floors where the work environment is more challenging in terms of heat, noise and exposure to physical challenges. Still, others travel regularly, which also exposes them to additional risks and discomfort at work. Companies, however, make the necessary adjustments so these risks and discomfort are addressed and minimized. A safe and favorable work environment contributes largely to the workers’ performance and productivity.

Many companies strive to provide medical and health benefits to their workers. These packages enhance the benefits of workers and help attract and retain talents. They also assure workers of peace of mind that if a health or medical condition happens, the expenses would not be borne solely by them. These benefits are in addition to those provided by law.

Many companies now are not only concerned with health and medical benefits, which their workers usually avail themselves of when health/medical impairment happens. Although there are certain provisions for annual medical checkups, most workers avail themselves of these benefits when a medical condition happens—or more on the curative aspect. The preventive aspect is not as emphasized.

To correct this situation, companies now have support programs to help address the wellness of their employees. A physical fitness and sports program is something we regularly see in many companies. This is good because workers, after their regular exposure to often purely sedentary and mental activities in the office, are given an opportunity to engage in recreational and competitive physical activities to enhance their physical well-being and help cope with stress. It also provides them with a great opportunity to socialize, bond and get to know people from other units, which in the course of day-to-day work, they may not have a chance to meet.

There are also companies that run brown-bag or learning sessions to discuss food and nutrition, health and wellness issues to familiarize workers with these topics. Another issue that companies are also concerned with is adequate rest for the workers. Regular work hours contribute to the well-being of workers. Overtime work is something we may have to live with but as long as this is not excessive, it does not induce too much stress on workers. Annual leaves are commonly provided so workers can get away for a while to recharge and replenish.

Progressive companies also realize that good working relationships between workers—and their superiors, peers and subordinates, are big contributors to wellness. Activities are done to encourage team effort, respect for individuals, openness and acceptance of the diverse talents and personalities that compose a typical organization.

Through all these, the companies’ motivation is to ensure the well-being of their workers so that they will continue to work at a high level of productivity and motivation and contribute to the achievement of the goals of the company, of the units the workers belong to, and of the workers themselves.

“Mirror Image” is a rotating column featuring writers from the De La Salle University.

The author is a professorial lecturer at the De La Salle University Ramon del Rosario College of Business. He welcomes comments at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the DLSU College of Business and De La Salle University, its faculty and its administrators.