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Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Leading companies across the UAE are reporting significant increases in staff productivity thanks to the adoption of wellness initiatives to promote healthier lifestyles such as wellness communication and education, fitness classes, stress management, and events promoting health and wellness, among others.
Companies such as Dubai Holding, DHL Express and AlMansoori Specialised Engineering, all report positive business outcomes as a result of these initiatives. In recognition of their efforts, they form part of the select group of finalists for the 2015 Daman Corporate Health Awards, organised by MEED.
Dubai Holding was one of the first organisations in the UAE to formalise a comprehensive corporate wellness programme. The company believes that the workplace is an important platform to adopt a healthier lifestyle and is committed to supporting employees as they strive to be healthier and fitter.
Cedric Betis, Chairman of Dubai Holding Wellness Committee, says: "Wellness constitutes an important pillar of Dubai Holding's work environment and we have succeeded in building a workplace that is conducive to wellness and productivity. We motivate employees to extend healthy practices beyond office to family and friends, contributing to a healthier and fitter community. We are proud to continuously field the largest corporate contingent at 'Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon', 'Dubai Holding Women's Run' and the 'Dubai Holding Vertical Marathon'. These events bring about a sense of excitement and achievement, encouraging employees to challenge their limits. Through sponsorship and participation in such key sporting events, Dubai Holding is giving employees the unique opportunity to run alongside record-breaking athletes and partake in world -class sporting events while building a culture of wellbeing."
DHL Express believes that when it comes to workplace wellness programmes, one size doesn't fit all. "We recognize that different people are motivated by different things and with over 1,000 UAE employees in diverse roles, we understand those drivers and create the environment and engagement for people to have a healthier lifestyle," says Anu Daga, Head of HR, DHL Express, which has dedicated half of an entire floor in its Dubai office to a fully equipped fitness centre (with free Zumba and yoga classes), recreation rooms, cafeteria (offering healthy salads and food) and relaxation zones. Other activities include regular health check-ups, encouraging the habit of reviewing vital statistics, health lecturers, sponsoring sports clubs, financial wellness awareness sessions, monthly health newsletters, quizzes and rewards. The approach is holistic and focuses on long term employee wellness and creating a great workplace.
The results have so far been impressive - year on year DHL Express's sickness rates for the last three years is at 0.01% and overall injuries rate decreased by 46%, well below market. Overtime has been reduced to practically zero in most functions reinforcing the importance of work life balance.
"Our experience has shown that healthier employees are in a much better position to contribute more significantly to the overall success of the company. Productivity wise, a healthy person is likely to perform better, benefitting from increased energy levels and lowering the chances of illness. For the organisation, greater productivity per capita means greater productivity overall," says Dr. Michael Bitzer, CEO, National Health Insurance Company-Daman, "We congratulate the companies who have been selected as finalists for the 2015 Daman Corporate Health Awards, a project we are proud to support because we strongly believe it is important to recognise workplace programmes that promote corporate health and support employee wellbeing."
For AlMansoori Specialised Engineering Services, winner of the 2014 Daman Award for Corporate Health and Wellness Organisation Award, a healthy workforce is vital to a company's productivity and growth. Good health is a result of practicing healthy habits on a daily basis. According to Dr. Robin Tauzin, Chief Wellness Officer, "Our corporate wellness programmes teach employees to maintain optimal health and prevent disease through making healthier choices every day. The key to our programmes is extensive education on healthy diet and lifestyle choices, as well as the promotion of active participation of employees to encourage them to take responsibility for their health."
Among the company's wellness policies include a series of health related talks and presentations where all employees receive its signature 'Know Your Body' and "Healthy Lifestyle" trainings, which teach the fundamentals of leading a healthy lifestyle in order to encourage people to take responsibility for their own health. AlMansoori encourages non-smoking and healthy food choices.
Now in its second year, the Daman Corporate Health Awards is a pioneering programme that aims to recognise outstanding employers in corporate health and wellness throughout the UAE. It distinguishes organisations and individuals who have implemented exemplary corporate health and wellness initiatives in the following award categories: Daman Award for Corporate Health and Wellness (Organisation), Daman Award for Corporate Health and Wellness (Initiative), Daman Award for Improved Corporate Health and Wellness Performance, Corporate Wellness Leader of the Year, Corporate Wellness Team of the Year, CSR Employee Engagement of the Year, Workplace of the Year Award, Communications Campaign of the Year, Health & Safety Initiative of the Year and Innovation in Work Culture Award of the Year. The full list of finalists is available online at www.corporatehealthawards.com.
2015 Daman Corporate Health Awards Finalists
Daman Award for Corporate Health and Wellness (Organization) Award
1. AlMansoori Specialised Engineering
2. Roche Diagnostics Middle East
3. Dubai Holding
4. Nestlé
5. DHL Express
6. Study World Higher Education Services
7. Abu Dhabi Health Services Company- SEHA
Daman Award for Corporate Health and Wellness (Initiative)
1. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB)
2. Etihad Airways
3. Mashreq
4. Abu Dhabi Health Services Company- SEHA
Daman Award for Improved Corporate Health and Wellness Performance Award
1. Dubai Holding
2. Lamprell Energy Limited
Corporate Wellness Leader of the Year Award
1. Nabil AlAlawi, CEO, AlMansoori Specialised Engineering
2. Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General, Knowledge & Human Development Authority (KHDA)
3. Dr Nadia Qassem Bastaki, Vice President- Medical Services, Etihad Airways
4. Mr. Thumbay Moideen, President, THUMBAY Group
Corporate Wellness Team of the Year Award
1. Dubai Holding
2. Etihad Airways
Communications Campaign of the Year Award
1. Aster DM Healthcare LLC
2. Dubai Holding
3. Maven Marketing and Events
4. Schlumberger UAE
5. Etisalat UAE
Innovation in Work Culture Award
1. Roche Diagnostics Middle East
2. Al Hosn Gas
Workplace of the Year Award
1. Dubai Holding
2. KHDA
3. DHL Express
4. THUMBAY Group
5. Unilever Gulf FZE
Health & Safety Initiative of the Year Award
1. Emirates Transport
2. Dubai Municipality
3. Al Hosn Gas
4. AECOM
5. Schlumberger UAE
6. Aqualia MACE
7. Unilever Gulf
8. Byrne Looby
CSR Employee Engagement of the Year Award
1. Al Bustan Centre & Residence
2. Schlumberger UAE
3. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB)
4. THUMBAY Group
5. Unilever Gulf
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About MEED
MEED is a remarkable senior management media brand that encompasses a subscription website and magazine, more than 30 C-level executive conferences and summits hosted by MEED Events, the MEED Quality Awards for Projects in association with Mashreq, Gulf Capital SME Awards, the Daman Corporate Health Awards, and a high-value content business, MEED Insight, which offers tailored research and in-depth analysis.
Established in 1957, MEED, has been integral to delivering business information and news, intelligence and analysis on the Middle East economies and activities ever since. Attracting a key senior management audience through its content and activities, MEED is a media brand and publication that covers a spectrum of services that inform.
Our policy and internal drivers are based on first-hand accounts, an excellent contact network delivering the most accurate and reliable news and analysis and a focus on exclusives. MEED gives business leaders the inside track. Through our portfolio of business intelligence products in print, online and via specialist events, MEED customers have access to thought-provoking analysis and insights, high-level networking opportunities and exclusive commentary from the region's industry leaders.
About National Health Insurance Company - Daman
The National Health Insurance Company - Daman is the region's leading specialised health insurer, providing comprehensive health insurance solutions to more than 2.6 million members in the UAE.
Over the years, the company has been the partner of choice for a number of the country's most prominent organisations and multinational companies in various industries including oil and gas, aerospace, energy, construction, investments and media.
Daman is a public joint-stock company that is 80% owned by the Abu Dhabi Government with the remaining 20% owned by Munich Re. The company is backed by the reliable support of the Abu Dhabi Government and its strategic partner, Munich Re, one of the world's leading reinsurers, plays an important role as both reinsurer and a valuable source for knowledge transfer.
Headquartered in Abu Dhabi and established in 2006, Daman offers a range of health insurance plans for both individuals and organisations and exclusively manages the Government's health programme - Thiqa - for UAE Nationals and Abu Dhabi Basic Plan - for low income expatriates. Members enjoy access to the largest healthcare providers' network in the UAE and an extensive international network of over 45 countries.
Daman, a pioneer in health care insurance, drives innovation through a combination of state-of-the-art technology and healthcare-related expertise offered by a highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce. Members benefit from added value through unique offerings such as the disease and case management programmes as part of the acclaimed Health Support services. Daman also operates a 24/7 customer call centre and has a medical services authorisation team in direct contact with Daman's network of healthcare providers. It also provides a diverse range of online services that are unmatched in the UAE.
Daman has set high standards in the health insurance industry and has been awarded a number of internationally recognised awards and quality-focused certifications in a relatively short span of time. The company is ISO 9001 certified for Quality Management Systems and ISO 27001 certified for Information Security Management. The company's successful application of the online-based Pharmacy Benefit Management system has received a full accreditation by URAC.
For more information, please visit: www.damanhealth.ae.
For event inquiries, please contact:
Irene Sentine
MEED Events
Marketing Manager
P.O. Box 25960
Level 20, Al Thuraya Tower 1
Dubai Media City
Tel: +971 (0)4 818 0286
Fax: +971 (0)4 368 8025
Email: irene.sentine@meed.com
For media assistance, please contact:
Anthon Garcia
PR Consultant, Daman Corporate Health Awards
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E: anthongarcia@yahoo.com
© Press Release 2015
