by ABFRLadmin | May 13, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a radical shift in the ways we work. With a set routine of work hours, personal life, family life and social life all clearly demarcated in the pre-COVID era, now, different facet of our lives are flowing into each other.
As we embrace this new normal, there is an urgent need to address how our employees behind the top clothing brands in India deal with stress. Keeping that in mind,we at ABFRL, have created unique initiatives to help our employees cope with the new normal. In the meantime, we have created our own mechanisms to overcome these challenges. The results of these have been quite encouraging.
Keep Them Moving
During the lockdown, it is easy to give into the sedentary lifestyle and put a stop to physical activity. The effect that this can have on the workforce is twofold: it can not only bring down immunity levels, but it can also impact mental health.
To enable our employees to keep moving from the convenience of their homes, we partnered up with Cult Fit, an online subscription-based fitness institute, to give employees access to workouts of their choice, workout challenges, fitness tips and motivational messages. Employees had access to celebrity workout sessions with cricketer Bret Lee and actress Nora Fatehi among other celebrities.
Furthermore, we launched a series of challenges including the Plank Challenge for employee motivation among Pantaloons HO and Madura Fashion & Lifestyle HO employees. Additionally, the Madura Fashion & Lifestyle HO initiated a 4-week fitness journey to help people lose the extra weight might have put on during the lockdown.
Keep Them Connected
There has been a visible upswing in the number of mental health issues during the global lockdown, due to social isolation and anxiety. In such times, it is important to foster a feeling of togetherness among people and to allow them to deal with their feelings by offering access to mental wellness professionals.
Through our mental health partner, Santulan, employees can get in touch with a team of psychologists. Moreover, they can attend periodic sessions for beating stress through behavioural games and counselling.
We have also identified and deployed channels to bind people with shared interests such as photography, fitness, health, entertainment and literature; to build and nurture intra-office connections and reduce the impact of social isolation. This was furthered by employees sharing their childrens quarantine stories and office memories, to keep spirits high.
Keep Them Motivated
Apart from taking care of their own health, it is also equally essential to arm our employees with a blue-print to allow them to navigate the new realities of a post-COVID world. When the lockdown ends, we will be part of a new normal, requiring us to devise a plan for the future.
It is imperative that our employees are financially secure and well-equipped to deal with the challenges that lie ahead. To provide them with the necessary tools, we conducted detailed financial planning sessions for our employees behind the top fashion brands.
We also organised informative sessions with industry stalwarts to discuss and showcase the possible impact of the pandemic on the fashion industry. This would allow our employees maximise opportunities in a new and fundamentally altered landscape.
By fostering an environment that looks after holistic wellness, one can not only equip employees with the physical and mental strength they need to get through this pandemic, but can also prepare them to embrace the new normal with open arms.
