du, the fastest-growing telecommunications company in the region, received recognition at the recently-held Idea of the Year Awards for its Employee Wellness Programme. The initiative, launched in 2013 as part of du’s Every Step Counts national wellbeing campaign, received second place in the Idea of the Year Awards’ Health and Safety category, making du the only private organisation to be recognised in health & safety category at the event, held as part of Dubai Quality Group’s Ideas.Arabia 9th International Conference 2014.

The wellbeing of employees is a top priority within du. With the launch of the enhanced Employee Wellness Programme in 2013, du reconfirmed its commitment to improving the lives of its employees, through several engaging initiatives that encourage them to adopt healthier lifestyle habits. As part of the programme, du launched an Executive Wellness Programme, through which the company’s senior management are overseen by Osman Sultan, CEO, du, to achieve the goals of the individually-assigned wellness agendas, setting a positive example for their teams. Also a dedicated wellness department has been layed to ensure sustainability and positive outcomes

“At du innovation is at the centre of everything . We are glad to see our Innovation program is getting appreciated internationally (last year we got Ideas UK Award for the du Employee Innovation program). Employeee wellness is also greatly helping us improving our employee engagement and productivity,” said Ibrahim Nasser, Chief Human Resources & Shared Services Officer, du. “Encouraging healthier habits amongst our employees is one way in which we are building sustainability within our company, in support of statement made by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, in which he said the most valuable asset a country has is its people and health is what gives time its meaning and life its taste,” he added.

With the launch of the program, the number of wellness campaigns and activities within du increased by 20% from 2012, and 50% from 2011. Activities held throughout the year included participation in Dubai Marathon and Dubai Women’s Run, clinical workshops, stretching exercises, Movember – the international men’s health awareness month held in November, and dental screenings. More than 200 employees participated in du’s Wellness Drive, flu vaccine and diabetes campaigns. du’s Biggest Winner Weight Loss Competition had 225 employee participants who won a cumulative 510kg of weight, with the winner losing 20.30kg during the 9-week challenge.

Dr. Mansoor Anwar, Director – Medical & Occupational Health Services, Human Resources & Organization Development, du, said, “Our Employee Wellness Program is a vital part of encouraging healthier lifestyles, by inspiring better eating and exercise habits, while educating our colleagues on important health matters.” In addition it has a profound impact on employee engagement and team work.