New trends in worker welfare
A new strategy to enhance productivity is now being promoted in Japan, focusing on the health and the wellbeing of the employees of all organisations.
Emphasizing the importance of the above new approach, Kai Kawano, Director, Standards and Regulations Division, Intellectual Property and Innovation Department, Japanese External Trade Organization (JETRO) said that they are now seeking to focus on market creation from market penetration, earlier.
He was speaking on the occasion of the media briefing last week at the Jetwing Colombo 7 hotel to announce the launch of the ‘Sri Lanka Corporate Health and Productivity Awards’ to be held in February 2019, jointly organized by COYLE (Chamber of Young Sri Lankan Entrepreneurs) and JETRO.
Mr. Kawano said that the healthcare industry has become one of the most competitive business areas and a unique initiative in Japan is of healthcare hours. The corporate sector is now looking at the healthcare management which commenced in Japan a few years back and is becoming one of the fastest growing ways of management.
He said, “This is a unique approach and the health of employees is very much important. This Japanese system works very well as productivity would be enhanced when promoting employees’ health”. He said that this is the first time that this awards ceremony is conducted outside Japan.
Dinuk Hettiarachchi, Chairman, COYLE, said that this unique event is a joint effort by COYLE, METI (Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry), JETRO and the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the concept is based on the health and productivity of the employees of corporates.
He indicated that it is globally accepted that the people in any organisation are the greatest asset and their health and wellbeing are elements that are needed to be at the heart of the corporate strategy.
He said that absenteeism and writing off healthcare costs are increasingly becoming a major factor for organisational profitability. While short term solutions may be able to fix the problems, in today’s world they may not be sustainable solutions, he said adding that they would discuss how companies are in the forefront of a long term approach which has increased productivity and protected the business by emphasising the health and wellbeing of the people.
He said the competition is divided into four categories and would analyse the companies in terms of number of employees. Zero to 100 employees is categorized as small; 101 to 250 as medium, 201 to 750 as large and over 750 as extra-large.