The Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammad has launched a 105 million Dirham Mental Health Plan to assist UAE resident in coping with day-to-day life. The scheme falls into the scope of the Dubai Social Agenda 33, which aims to make Dubai the best place to live and work.

The new Mental Health framework will launch early detection and support programmes to be able to identify signs of mental health struggles among UAE residents.

With that in mind, companies need to look internally at how and what they are doing to support employee well-being in the workplace.

A stressed-out workforce is not a productive one. Make your workplace, work for your employees. We explore how a company can create a supportive environment where employee well-being matters and how best to implement these initiatives, benefits, and policies.

The Foundation of Employee Well-Being

Encourage open communication by having regular check-ins and creating a safe space for feedback. This is more than just an open-door policy but making sure people feel heard and valued.

Regular one-on-one meetings and quarterly employee appraisals can be invaluable. These dedicated times provide employees the opportunity to discuss workload and challenges. Structuring the discussion with an appraisal template document can assist both employees and employers to stay on topic but also allow space for the employee to talk about personal matters.

Other initiatives such as anonymous employee suggestion boxes and employee feedback surveys can also be an effective tool for gathering honest feedback on workplace stressors and overall mental health.

Recognising and acknowledging when employees are doing great work can do wonders. Celebrating both big and small employee milestone let’s your team know their efforts are valued.

Highlight when employee suggestions have been implemented, feedback has been taken on board and recognise achievements in the team. Implementing tools or platforms where employees can share and acknowledge each other’s contributions or give ‘Kudos’ can also have a significant impact.

Promote Work-Life Balance

Flexible Work Arrangements

Offering flexible work arrangements to help employees balance their work and personal lives can vastly improve the overall well-being of employees. Flexible working could mean flexible hours, remote work, or shortened workdays/weeks. When a business provides flexibility, the employee feels that their time and needs are respected which can significantly reduce stress levels.

Consider if you can offer and implement a flexible or remote work policy. Providing the necessary technology and tools for remote work ensures that employees can maintain productivity without compromising their personal lives.

What kinds of policies can you implement for flexible work arrangements?

1. Working from home policy

2. Working from abroad policy

3. Virtual meetings etiquette policy

4. Flexitime working policy

Having employee policy and handbook documents will set the tone for company culture, outline local regulations and labour laws (if applicable), and highlight the expectations of the employee.

Encourage Time Off

Create a culture that acknowledges that taking annual leave, mental health days and regular breaks is essential for recharging and refocusing. This should be seen as a strength, not a weakness. When employees are well-rested, they are far more productive.

Implement policies that encourage regular breaks and actively promote the use of entitled annual leave. Proper planning for employees' annual leave will reduce the backlog of remaining employee vacation days and you won’t face issues with everyone asking for annual leave at the same time.

Other Incentives

Create incentive programmes that reward not just performance but also teamwork, creativity, and innovation. Consider offering incentives such as extra holiday days (Birthday etc), gym or exercise memberships, wellness days, or professional development or further study opportunities.

Provide Access to Resources and Support

Local Healthcare Insurance Providers

Partner with local health insurance providers that offer inclusive mental health coverage and support. Many local health insurance options now offer access to mind and mental health services. This support includes having access to phone calls and virtual video chats with qualified psychologists and professionals.

Training and Coping Initiatives

Recognising signs of stress, anxiety, and depression, and knowing how to offer support shows that you’re serious about your employee's well-being, not just the bottom line.

Training sessions can be conducted by health professionals (this may be offered through your local health insurance provider) and can cover topics such as stress management, coping strategies, breathing techniques, and how to support colleagues who may be struggling. Implementing workshops that focus on mindfulness and resilience can also be beneficial by creating a more informed and empathetic workplace.

Occupational Pension and Employee Savings Schemes

Financial Wellness often also plays a large role in employee well-being. In this region, End of Service Gratuity (EOSG) is a mandatory gratuity payment that is calculated on the employee's basic salary amount and duration of service. It differs from a pension payment as it will be paid out into the employee's bank account in a lump sum at the end of their service.

The UAE doesn’t legally require expat pension payments, excluding Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) who offer the option for employees to invest in additionally to their EOSG. This often can leave employees feeling financially stressed about retirement savings. Sovereign PPG provides tailored solutions to build funds against their EOSG liabilities within an employee benefit trust plan. Savings plans can assist in decreasing financial stress and put employers' and employees' minds at ease as this money can then be invested and allowed to accumulate, while EOSG payments can be withdrawn as and when required.

Organise Events and Activities that Encourage Participation

Organising regular work events and activities can boost mental health and encourage higher employee engagement. It is important to provide opportunities for your employees to socialise and bond. It is particularly important in expat communities like the UAE and GCC region, where many employees are living and working away from home.

Establishing good connections at work and promoting a good workplace culture can significantly impact productivity and reduce employee turnover. An employee who is engaged, connected, and valued is less likely to leave.

Creating a social committee to arrange events and social activities shows that the company values the way the employee engages with their colleagues and the business. This could include workshops, team-building exercises, department meals, celebrating cultural days, potlucks and mindfulness meditation sessions. Anything to get your team engaged and collaborating.

Investing in your Employee Wellbeing Pays Off

Supporting wellbeing in the workplace is both the right and the smart thing to do. When employees feel supported and valued, they are more engaged, productive, and loyal.

Investing in employee well-being initiatives, creating a supportive environment is essential in initial employee hiring but also, retention.

Our comprehensive HR services are designed to outline both mandatory local legislation and labour law requirements such as assistance with finding a local health insurance plan, as well as assist you with any additional employee benefits, incentives and compensation plans. Sovereign PPG create bespoke handbooks and policies templates for our clients that act as a guide and reference, outlining the company culture and employee and employer expectations.

We can assist you with employee onboarding, employee experience and offboarding requirements across the GCC, please contact Sovereign PPG on +971 (0)4 456 1761 for Dubai or email us at SovPPG@SovereignGroup.com or complete the contact form below and we will be delighted to assist you.