As individuals become more concerned with their own health and wellness, it only makes sense that the place people spend the majority of their day in adjusts to promote a healthy lifestyle and enhanced work life balance. A healthy workplace is about more than just warding off colds and flu. A healthy workplace is all-inclusive and takes into consideration the physical, emotional, and mental health of employees. According to the World Health Organization, a healthy workplace as one where employees and managers work collaboratively to protect the health, safety, and well-being of all employees in the workplace through:
- Promoting health and safety in the physical work environment
- Promoting well-being in the psychosocial work environment
- Providing personal health resources
- Engagement in the community
Around the world, with increased focus and attention on employee health and wellbeing, corporate wellness spaces are becoming increasingly more popular to support improved productivity, enhanced work life balance, and support an overall healthier work culture. Alaafia, meaning wellness in Arabic, is our space for our associates.
With a rapidly growing, and ever diverse associate base, Alaafia, Cerner Middle East's (CME) dedicated wellness room, offers a private space for our associates. Whether it is used to take a private call, meditate, relax, or by nursing mothers, our goal is to protect, promote, and support a happy and healthy CME family. The philosophy behind Alaafia is that our associates will be more productive when they feel they are well, creating a better work environment and healthier culture. Additionally, to further support the rights of female associates as outlined in the UAE labor law as it relates to supporting newborn/infant feeding, the room is a considerate amenity that may encourage female associates, who are new mothers at CME, to return to work, but one that is more sanitary and comfortable than the typical backup option of feeding/pumping in bathrooms/car parks, or make shift office spaces which otherwise lack privacy and comfort.
As the newest addition to the numerous wellness-focused program offering at CME, including but not limited to associate immunization and preventative screening programs, ergonomics training and evaluations, nutrition and fitness campaigns, and community engagement initiatives, CME associates and armed with the knowledge, resources, and now the space to tend to their personal health needs placing and keeping individual health and wellness as a priority.
