New Delhi: The COVID-19 outbreak has toppled life as we know it. The lack of physical contact with our friends and loved ones, loss of employment and salary cuts, and the death of near ones - all of which marked the health pandemic - have heightened stress for millions around the world. As many businesses reopen and employees return to work, these psychosocial risks carry serious health problems for workers and a preventive factor for a business’ bottom line.

Now, in order to address well-being of the employees at the workplace amidst the COVID pandemic, the new role has been created by this company to institutionalise holistic wellness of all employees and to ensure the access to medicine, hospitals and other medical supplies, while maintaining the mental well-being.

Tech Mahindra, a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting and business re-engineering services and solutions declared that they have appointed a ‘Wellness Officer’. Tech Mahindra on Saturday announced the appointment of Meghna Hareendran as the 'Wellness Officer', with immediate effect.

The officer will work as a central program manager to take care of the healthcare needs of the associates and will also be responsible for managing relationships with Tech Mahindra partners and vendors to ensure a comprehensive suite of wellness offerings to them.

Harshvendra Soin, Global Chief People Officer & Head - Marketing, Tech Mahindra, said, "Guided by our values and culture of driving positive change, celebrating each moment, and empowering all to Rise, we at Tech Mahindra, have always prioritized the well-being of our associates. Meghna is one of our bright young HR leaders who is passionate and already making a positive difference to the lives of many. Her appointment as a 'Wellness Officer' reiterates our belief in 'Wellness before Business' and underscores our commitment towards ensuring holistic wellness of our associates."

Tech Mahindra has also collaborated with leading hospitals to convert some of its campuses into COVID care units. Additionally, the company also launched an exclusive COVID-19 vaccination drive for its associates and their dependent family members across India and will also be covering the cost of vaccination for its associates globally and the third-party employees.

Tech Mahindra has also extended its support to Mission Oxygen to set up 50 oxygen plants for charitable and government hospitals across India.

While commenting upon the appointment, Meghna Hareendran, Wellness Officer, Tech Mahindra, said, "The pandemic has taken a significant toll on lives across the world, and it has created a unique challenge to ensure both physical and mental wellness of people. To combat this, the key is to build a wave of 'collective well-being', with humans and technology at the center. I want to thank Tech Mahindra for recognizing this early on, and for enabling a culture where everyone comes together to ensure each other's well-being."

Tech Mahindra has a 360-degree approach to employee well-being with a huge emphasis on mental health and wellness program. This includes regular outreach to associates which focuses on 8 different aspects of wellness - emotional, physical, financial, occupational, spiritual, environmental, intellectual and social.

The company also has a comprehensive COVID-19 risk screening test, called Mhealthy, to test the presence of anti-bodies along with all the vital health stats for COVID-19 co-morbidities. By generating real-time reports, the solution ensures that every individual stepping into the Tech Mahindra premises is healthy, making it a safe place to work.

(With agency inputs)