Fatemah Ahmed

KUWAIT: Committed to its core values and to the wellness of employees, Burgan Bank's Learning and Development Department - under the Human Resources Management, crafted a new and modern wellbeing program as part of a strategic initiative aimed at fostering individuals' welfare, enhancing their engagement levels, and sharing mental health tips in order to help employees deal with arising difficulties during these exceptional circumstances and beyond.

Considered a pillar to any organization's success, employee empowerment programs became part of Burgan Bank's culture, owing to the tremendous impact it had on maintaining sustainable levels of employee engagement, resilience in the face of organizational change, motivation and innovation. Additionally, such programs have proven their efficiency in boosting productivity and creating brand ambassadors capable of passing positive energy to customers.

Therefore, Burgan Bank's Human Resources department has been upholding staff's health and wellbeing to help them achieve their full potential and cope with daily stress. By building a positive work environment, the Bank has been helping its cadres succeed in their current roles and contribute to its overall accomplishments, safely and effectively.

Launched in 2020 amid the pandemic, the L&D Department's Wellbeing and Welfare Program aims at improving employees' health and overall wellness. Furthermore, the program's activities intend to support and facilitate regular communication, and encourage employees to stay connected to the workplace and with each other. Encompassing a comprehensive virtual wellbeing plan with customized content channeled through the online Learning and Development portal, the L&D wellbeing program is scheduled to last until the end of 2021. Since its start, the program has gained support from all levels of management who commended its goals and the anticipated benefits to both the Bank and its employees.

Speaking of employees' wellbeing impact on any business performance, Assistant manager - Learning and Development, Fatemah Yaqoub Ahmed, said: "There is vast evidence indicating that workplaces with higher employee wellbeing are associated with higher productivity, hence Burgan Bank has strived to provide the necessary care to ensure the physical and mental health of its employees, further to motivating and helping them thrive, especially amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. The L&D Program will run until the end of this year and will include carefully selected topics and events."

Siham Al-Kharayeef

Since the Wellbeing and Welfare Program started, employees reported that Burgan Bank's initiative has contributed to their feeling of purpose and made them feel proud to be Burganers. Moreover, employees experienced optimism, while keeping themselves physically and mentally healthy under the current circumstances. Specialist - Learning and Development, Siham Essam Al-Kharayeef, confirmed that the program witnessed an increased engagement during the health crisis that piled new pressures on our daily routine.

"A growing number of employees have joined the L&D Wellbeing Program with higher levels of interaction during the live sessions and discussions. In fact, the number of participants in 2021 increased 6 times compared to the previous year. We are extremely proud of Burgan Bank's supportive culture for such initiatives, which proved their success through the conducted analysis that reflected an improvement in performance as reported by direct managers, with employees demonstrating increased self-awareness and additional control of their behaviors," she added.

Each month, the L&D team prepares and holds theme-based materials, including videos, articles, tips, and quotes, further to conducting community group discussions about the topic that is tackled in order to exchange experiences and points of view. Till date, employees were given motivational lessons on "The Science of Gratitude", "Practicing Optimism", "Embracing Uncertainty", "Building Resilience in Time of Crisis", "Light Your Way with Kindness", "Mindset and Patterns", and "Stress Management", all of which will help them adopt behaviors capable of improving their wellbeing, reduce stress, and overcome any current or future hurdle. Additionally, Burgan Bank's employees will benefit from an upcoming set of topics covering yoga and meditation, work-life balance, mental agility, managing emotions and wellbeing and tips on boosting health and setting goals.

The L&D Well-being Program reflects Burgan Bank's keenness on creating a caring environment by investing its diverse resources and time to cater to employees' need to feel better and rise above any difficulty, especially during the current pandemic and its associated anxieties and concerns. To ensure constant progression and excellence, Burgan Bank's culture has always been marked by top-notch programs and events that reflect its commitment to the health and wellbeing of its employees.

Employee wellness is at the heart of Burgan Bank's business underpinned by the executive management's willingness to offer all kind of support, which will always be provided to its personnel in order to create a solid foundation for growth and sustainability and achieve continuous development and excellence.