Burn out. Stressed. Down. These three words are screaming out of most engagement surveys that are coming out in corporates to assess the employees’ mental state for 2024. These surveys are an end of the year assessment to find out what workers are experiencing and feeling and then create strategies to address the challenges.

These surveys are treated with some seriousness in more professional organizations while in the majority of Pakistani companies they may or may not be important depending upon the financial position.

Normally it should be that if the company is making money they should be more inclined to spend on employee well-being. In Pakistani companies it is the opposite.

They feel that if the company is making money, why spend more on employees. It is only when the bottom line shrinks that they bother about what the employees might be going through.

The bad news for corporates due to the business crunch in Pakistan may spell some good tidings for focus on employee engagement. That is why it is an opportunity for the HR department to get some serious attention from the top management. There is a lot of work being done by progressive companies on employee welfare. Many companies are now providing play places and nurseries for working mums.

Others are providing Gym facilities for employees. Some companies are also providing salons that provide massage facilities, etc. However, what is lacking is a comprehensive plan that designs a holistic approach to mental health and employee well-being. For the HR department the real task starts of creating paradigm shifts towards this issue both in the board rooms and in the staff workplaces.

Boardrooms are still in denial of the psycho emotional issues that weave........

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