‘SL Corporate Health and Productivity Awards’ gives companies recognition; uplifts employee morale

Hemas Holdings

Embla Software

H-Connect

The Chamber of Young Lankan Entrepreneurs (COYLE) in collaboration with Japan External Trade Corporation (JETRO) has organised the second edition of the ‘Sri Lanka Corporate Health and Productivity Awards’. 

The first edition of the awards ceremony was an astounding success and was well-regarded by all who attended. The upcoming awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in January 2020 in line with the Health and Productivity Management program in Japan conducted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE). The deadline for the entry of applications has been extended to 31 October, so candidates are encouraged to submit their applications on or before this date. 

Interested enterprises who register will be considered for the awards based on their establishment’s progress towards corporate health and productivity management. Companies categorised under extra-large, large, medium and small and based on the number of employees will be eligible to apply and companies with maximum emphasis on health and productivity programs for employee health will be selected and promoted as an attractive investment option for investors who prioritise the improvement of corporate values. 

Moreover, a workshop on Health and Productivity Management was held on 30 July as a well-timed measure, educating candidates on the importance of health and wellness programs in workplaces. Dr. Yoshiaki Ichikawa, visiting professor of Tama University, Tama, Japan, conducted the workshop.

It is accepted worldwide that corporate health and well-being programs are indispensable in moving forward for any enterprise and all the enterprises who have succeeded at the highest level have already enacted certain measures in enhancing their corporate values. Moreover, such programs indicate a level of great demand more than ever due to modern economic variables and financial crisis faced by enterprises, which, in turn, require immediate steps for the betterment of employees.

Sharing her views on the awards ceremony, Hemas Holdings PLC Group Wellness Manager Shanelle De Almeida stated, “It is a great opportunity to assess how much effort your company is putting into employee wellbeing as this is a very current trend that is being adopted on a global scale. Sri Lankan companies should take a good look at this area if they want to remain on the map as a competitive employer.” She was delighted with the award and noted the importance of health and wellness programs for the success of any company. “We applied for the awards because wellness is a significant part of our employees’ value proposition and we wanted to assess if we had adopted best practices and see if we would qualify and meet the required standards,” she further added when asked about what motivated her to apply for the awards. She applauded both COYLE and JETRO for organising the awards ceremony and highlighted the benefits of wellness programs in creating a positive-minded, emotionally intelligent and pleasant workforce.

Another company thatfeatured at the awards ceremony and won was Embla Software Innovation, who had initiated the ‘Embla Health and Wellbeing Program’, which focused on work-life balance, productivity, health and happiness. 

Embla Software Innovation Quality Assurance and Process Specialist Eranga Rajapaksha stated, “Winning the Gold award at the Corporate Health and Productivity Awards 2019 was a remarkable achievement for Embla, as it gave our health and wellbeing program the emphasis it deserved, followed by recognition not only in Sri Lanka but globally as well. It had also motivated us to do much better for the future.” 

She was in full praise of the attempt made by COYLE in collaborating with JETRO and highlighted the transparency in evaluating the companies, the valuable information, practices and guidelines given by the authorities. She further stressed on the fact that employees are the most valuable asset in a company and paying attention to their health and wellbeing improves productivity and enhances company growth.

“Both awarding bodies, COYLE and JETRO conducted the evaluations for the Awards in a very professional and highly commendable manner. We would certainly recommend the awards as an esteemed platform for the recognition of organisations that are striving to uplift the wellbeing of their employees,” commented Fasla Farid, Junior Executive – Human Resources at H-Connect Ltd., which also received an award. 

Fasla added that H-Connect focuses on employee wellbeing as a prime objective and commended COYLE for conducting a professional survey, which further boosted the company’s health and productivity management initiatives. She also pointed out the fact that this awards ceremony will not only encourage a company’s consideration of adoptingmore focus on employee health and wellbeing, but also invites other companies to set in place and achieve more health and productivity management goals.

Applications can be downloaded from https://slchpa.com/home/.