Dubai Holding runs the extra mile for employees’ well-being

Dubai Holding's wellness committee, which encourages employees to lead a healthy lifestyle, will ensure the company has a very visible presence at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon on January 22.

Dubai Holding has had the largest representation by any UAE company at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon for the past three years. Antonie Robertson / The National

Dubai Holding is a company putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to its 22,000 employees’ well-being – something that will be evident at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon this month.

Almost 3,000 runners (2,866) will make up its corporate team at the event on January 22 – the fourth year the company has had the largest representation by any company. The majority will run the 10K event. While 27 of those will run the marathon, the remainder will traverse the 10-kilometre and 4K route. ​​Last year, 2,430 runners took part.

“We spend more time at work than in any other setting and wellness initiatives allow staff to network, get their voice heard, immerse and experience company culture while achieving their health targets,” says Cedric Betis, chairman of the Dubai Holding wellness committee.

Dubai Holding established the committee three years ago to advocate lifestyle improvements and improve health and productivity among staff.

The company also sponsors the annual 52-flight, 1,334-step Vertical Marathon at Jumeirah Emirates Towers, which takes place in April, with Dubai Holding’s vice chairman, Ahmad bin Byat, and chief executive, Fadel Al Ali, frequent participants.

Thom Janssen, lead consultant for organisational surveys and insights at the HR consultancy Towers Watson, says the best companies “treat their employees like consumers” to “create emotional connections between employees and the company”.

Companies that take this approach report better business performance and more success in attracting people with critical skills, he explains. “Well-being programmes are not just a solution to a health ‘problem’; instead, they relate to much broader issues of worker engagement,” he adds.

“Engaged employees provide better customer service by going the extra mile, and they help drive productivity gains by bringing their best thinking to work.”

q&a health is wealth

Suzanne Locke outlines the importance of employee wellness schemes:

What’s the cost of sickness absence?

The average employee is absent from work 7.6 days a year, costing their employer £595 (Dh3,200), according to the UK health insurance provider Cigna.

Can an employer put a monetary value on their return on investment into well-being?

Johnson & Johnson estimates that from 2002 to 2008, the return was $2.71 for every dollar spent, saving the company $250 million on healthcare costs in a decade. And according to a study by two US doctors on 185 workers and spouses at a single company, every dollar invested yielded $6 in health care savings.

Are Middle East human resources departments working on employee wellness?

Yes, according to a 2015 Bayt.com survey, 66 per cent of respondents said their HR team was effectively promoting wellness, and 46 per cent also thought their company was a good place to work.

What are the best ways for workers to focus on well-being?

“Focus on the basics,” says Cedric Betis of Dubai Holding. “Maintain a diet of clean and healthy food, high in protein and low on fat and sugar. Eat in controlled portions – it’s more sustainable than dieting. Follow through with exercise and treat yourself often to food you love. Every little bit counts for those spending most of the day sitting; so stand and move as often as possible.”

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