The Hindu Business Line : Of mind games and treadmills

More and more corporates are realising that increased competition at the workplace results in added stress and people need to be taught how to deal with this through lifestyle changes related to diet and exercise.

Gyms and fitness centres, like this one at Sify, Chennai, are part of many workplaces, today.

Ten years ago, people took the stairs up to their office. They walked across to meet colleagues in neighbouring cabins. Telephones were largely a utility. And a 9 to 5 job often meant just that.

Today, people take the elevator to their office, even if it's on the first floor. The man who walks has become a phantom, since colleagues prefer messaging each other on internal office systems or e-mails, even if they are separated by no more than a glass panel. Utility aside, cell-phones have become an electronic-leash. And a 9 to 5 job, almost, never means that.

Extended deadlines, performance-driven pay packages, changing office dynamics with merit replacing seniority and having to cope with an IT or knowledge-driven environment — the world of the urban professional reads like a health catastrophe waiting to happen.

Heart attacks strike at an early age, more professionals are on the brink of a nervous break-down and smoking and drinking are increasingly becoming companions to the stressed-out executive.

No surprise then, the corporate calendar contains dates circled out in thick red ink for participation in lifestyle management workshops and stress-audit sessions, among other things.

The indelible link between physical and emotional stress and productivity at work being established — HR policies in organisations are looking to exorcise those office-blues and achieve an "optimum level of stress" that keeps an employee motivated to perform.

So jogging the mind with "neurobic" sessions is becoming as important an HR exercise, as are physical aerobic classes or yoga modules for over-all fitness. And the challenges vary from an organisation like Siemens that has made the transition from a manufacturing environment to a knowledge-driven environment, as compared to Internet solutions company Sify Ltd, where the average employee age is all of 28 years!

"We conduct two-day lifestyle management workshops that look at both physical and mental fitness. An employee's work output or productivity can be affected if he or she is not fit enough to work," points out Dr S. Sivaramakrishnan, Vice-President, Medical and Occupational Health, Siemens Ltd.

The stress-busting workshops are personalised and conducted with a small number of employees to help assess individual attitudes and abilities to cope with different environments. "The sessions include stress-audits where the occupational and personal stress one is exposed to is looked at and commitment plans are worked out by which the employee would make personal changes that impact the individual, his organisation and his family," he says.

There is a follow-up done after six months to evaluate whether the employee has adopted the changes. "These workshops have been part of office practice for the last several years and they have received enormous response. Some people have gone on to excel in careers, while others have overcome personal stumbling blocks," says Dr Sivaramakrishnan.

Health and fitness are so part of Sify's consciousness that the treadmills placed in the office for employees have been chosen by senior-staff!

"At Sify, we completely understand how physical and mental fitness contribute to the workplace. So we have a gym and fitness centre. But in addition to that, we also have treadmills in different locations in the office that employees can use after office hours, says Suchint Murali, Deputy General Manager - HR, Sify Ltd.

"The treadmills have become so popular that today one has to book time to use one and people have been restricted to half-an-hour use to allow more people to be able to benefit from it," she says. While the above facilities are free for employees, Sify also arranges for them yoga and aerobic classes at a nominal fee. Physical activity is particularly important for IT organisations, where people sit for long hours in front of the computer, she adds.

Complementing the physical fitness initiatives, the company also organises health-related events that range from specialised health services to overall health check-ups. "Sometimes a Sankara Nethralaya comes to the office to conduct executive vision check-ups and this works out to about Rs 100 for an employee. At other times there could be a complete master health check-up that is organised at the workplace," she says.

Given the young age of its employees and the nature of their work, Sify also has counselling sessions as part of its overall HR responsibility. "Young people can be impulsive and they have to be handheld to choose between the ideal and practical way of doing things," she says.

Sify also has mind-games like the Soch Web site on its internal system that rewards employees for coming up with refreshing, workable ideas related to their workplace. They also have brain-teasers that act as online de-stressers, company officials point out.

Speaking in his capacity as an occupational physician, Siemens' Dr Sivaramakrishnan points out that in companies making the transition to new-age practices, "a change in mindset is essential. One has to understand that one cannot sit back on the laurels of the past. Increased competition results in added stress and people need to be taught how to deal with these changes. One could deal with them through lifestyle changes relating to diet and exercise, among other things."

But in the "smart age" of knowledge-power, "people don't move from their computers, their postures are wrong, constant staring atthe screen can hurt their eyes, employees don't exercise their hands and legs and as a result they tend to cut down the amount of water they drink as well. Simple measures can help in such cases, like looking away from the computer screen every 15 minutes, reducing the bright lights in the office to reduce the glare and drinking water to prevent dehydration and kidney stones," he advises.

"Whether it is night-shift in a factory or a call-centre, the body tries to adapt. But sometime changes in lifestyle happen too fast to identify and cope with. The concept of workplace fitness has emerged to catch the burn-out before it happens," says Dr Amu Kant Mital, Psychiatrist and Assistant Professor and Head of Department, Rajiv Gandhi Medical College.

Love at the workplace

Women may not have a clue, but their increasing presence in the workplace has introduced a new set of challenges. "Young organisations across the board are today trying to deal with love blossoming at the workplace. If both employees are good performers, does the office retain them? What happens if both husband and wife have the same boss and one of them gets a raise? Would it lead to personal disharmony? What happens if the woman is the boss and her spouse a subordinate? "Such HR issues do crop up at the workplace," says Sify's Murali.

A Seimens representative also admits that office dynamics change when a male-dominated office not only has women at the workplace, but a woman as boss. With latest research indicating that the hormone oxytocin — also called the "hormone of love" — is good for health, organisations should now look at this norm with a different pair of glasses!

Picture by Shaju John

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