What is your employer doing to de-stress you?

In a competitive world, it is hard to cope with challenges on the job.

The stress we take with us when we go to work and the stress that
awaits us are on the rise. Excessive stress interferes with our productivity and harms our physical and emotional health.

DNA asks Puneites on what their companies do to make work enjoyable. 

Our firm has a 15-min exercise session to help us kick-start the day
My company has an excellent recreation room where there are activities such as table tennis, carom board, football and badminton among others. We often go out to play cricket too.

Everyday after lunch we get a break for half an hour to take up any activity of our choice.

During the FIFA World Cup matches, we even had a small championship. In January, we have another cricket tournament coming up. The company often has parties for the employees. Also, every morning there is a 15-minute exercise and meditation session. This helps refresh the mind to kick-start another day at work.

People enjoy all such recreational activities. Whenever we feel stressed or hassled, we can take a few minutes off and do anything we want. The options are many. It helps to get rid of the constant worry. So after a long meeting, instead of getting back to work, it feels great to play a game and take a breather.  

Maria Holzloehner, logistics analyst

Under Cybage Asha, we help slums, orphanages & old-age homes
We have many activities to de-stress our employees. We have indoor sports facility on each floor with table tennis and pool tables.

Whenever the employees have free time, they go and play or can watch others play which is also a great stress buster. For those who are interested in music, we have guitar classes. We also arrange Cybage musical night.

Our company actively participates in inter- IT company tournaments such as cricket, football and table tennis. All employees and the bosses take part in it. The company has formed a group called Cybage Asha wherein the employees visit and help different slums, orphanages and old-age homes.

This helps us to de-stress and have a fresh look out. This year, Cybage Asha had organised a party for orphans. The most important thing that keeps our employees away from stress is the friendly atmosphere.
Deepak Nathani, COO, CYBAGE

The solution to stress is frequent formal and informal discussions
One of the most important reasons behind stress is the communication gap between the employees and the bosses. The solution is frequent formal or informal discussion.

Our company regularly has an activity called Speak Out, wherein employees from all the departments gather and speak their minds about just anything— be it their comments, suggestions, problems they face or something that bothers them.

The respective department heads act as listeners.

Anyone would agree that a certain amount of stress is required for stimulus, but anything beyond that becomes detrimental. Hence, our company even follows the concept of work-life balance.

It organises Art of Living courses for employees to help them de-stress and rejuvenate them. Earlier everyone used to work six days a week, now every month’s first and third Saturday is a holiday. This helps to maintain the balance.

Nitin Mehta, associate vice-president

Companies have hobby classes to rejuvenate employees
These days many private companies hold hobby classes in music and dance to help employees de-stress. It not only helps employees rejuvenate but also encourages them to take up
hobbies that they like.

Dance is an expression of our emotions. Releasing these emotions helps to de-stress and relaxes the mind and the body. While you are dancing or performing an activity, your body releases endorphins and chemicals in the brain that are responsible for positive moods.

Dancing makes you feel alive and connected. Dance forms such as contemporary dance, which includes improvisation exercises and release techniques are best suited to help de-stress. They promote inner movement and the use of organic intentions/emotions which release all your worries and work-related stress.

Swapnil Dagliya, dance instructor

Cultural events help us to know each other while having fun
My company has a recreational room, where we play games like chess and carom among others. We also have table tennis and snooker rooms. We can go there anytime to refresh ourselves.

There is also a library for the book lovers and the company also arranges book reading sessions. There is a blogging site to share our thoughts with our colleagues.

We also have a cricket team, which plays inter-IT company matches. There are competitions between the company departments. Also, there are cultural programmes such as traditional day, male employees cooking day, dandiya raas and parties.

Such events help us to know each other well while having fun. The company also sees to it that we do a little social service. We work for the Mother Teresa Organisation in the city by arranging programmes for them and collecting funds.

It’s good to work when you are given freedom to enjoy and work together.

Chandan Dembla, engineer, MindTree Limited

We have training programmes for all the staff to encourage interaction
I enjoy working at the company I recently joined. There is good mix of work and fun here. We have different days such as the traditional day, which are celebrated with gusto. The company makes you feel special when they celebrate your birthday at the office with cakes and cards. There are certain training programmes where employees from all the departments participate. This encourages interaction.

There is a rule that a fresher has to show some of his talent during a cultural function or the annual picnic. I am looking forward to presenting my skills. The atmosphere is so motivating that you love working when you have the liberty to club work with enjoyment.

The whole office comes together and celebrates all the festivals. In fact, my colleagues are like my family and company, my second home.

Chitralekha Upadhyay, article student, BK Khare & Co

Our group discussions are work-cum-fun talks
I work with a CA firm and have a lot of work during the year end. We have a recreation hall wherein we have seminars by employees and students, who do their articleship on their favourite topics.

We also have a library where we can spend time reading books. We regularly have group discussions which are work-cum-fun talks. This year, we also have inter-firm cricket tournament in which I am looking forward to participate.

We also have an informal office group and we go for movies, picnics or hiking. We have different departments and each department has its own party or picnic in which the entire firm participates.

Akshay Purandare, article student, Kirtane Pandit Chartered Accountants Firm

HR should have activities to alleviate employees’ stress
Stress is due to discontent that creates a gap between an individual’s personal and professional life. It not only affects the morale of the top-level bosses but also hampers the motivation of the employees below them.

If a company’s efficiency and effectiveness are based on the employees, then stress can be a killer. For me, ‘Companies don’t make profits… it’s the people that make profits.” The human resource (HR) team is responsible for creating and advancing a corporate culture.

These times are such when corporate pressures are high and the employees themselves are responsible for creating a climate of stress.  HR team plays an important role in managing workplace attitudes and behaviours. It needs to be involved in alleviating stress because stress involves people and HR is essentially for employees’ welfare.

HR can use the following support mechanisms to de-stress employees:

>    Support the functional departments by training the managers on handling employee issues
>    Develop a methodology of encouraging open communication and counselling of employees
>    Include team building and interpersonal relationship enhancement activities
>    Give special recognition to softer aspects and re-emphasise the company’s values
>    Implement HR wellness programmes that emphasise on ‘work-life’ balance
A stressful environment cannot be changed overnight. The ultimate goals of all employees should be to enjoy their work and life in general.

Prakash Rohera, CEO, The Redwood Edge