Six pioneering organisations set to showcase gold-standard strategies in health, safety, and wellbeing at the 14th Global Healthy Workplace Summit in Lisbon

The Global Centre for Healthy Workplaces (GCHW) has officially unveiled the finalists for the prestigious 2026 Global Healthy Workplace Awards. Selected from a competitive international field, six distinguished organisations have been recognized for setting new benchmarks in employee health, safety, and holistic wellbeing, demonstrating how human-centric workplace strategies directly fuel business resilience and sustainable performance.

The 2026 Global Finalists

These finalists represent best-in-class leadership across three distinct operational scales:

Multinational Enterprises

• Abbott Laboratories Latam (Guatemala)
• Siemens Energy (Germany)

Large Enterprises

• Abbott India (India)
• Singapore Power Group (Singapore)

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

• African Population and Health Research Center (Kenya)
• doctHERS (USA)

Elevating the Global Dialogue: Lisbon 2026

The finalists will present their evidence-based workplace initiatives at the 14th Global Healthy Workplace Awards and Summit, hosted in partnership with ISEG Executive Education (Lisbon School of Economics & Management) on 19–20 October 2026 in Lisbon, Portugal.

Delegates and attendees will gain access to actionable frameworks, measurable outcomes, and strategic insights from these global trailblazers before an international panel of judges crowns the category winners.

“This year’s finalists demonstrate that comprehensive health and wellbeing strategies are no longer just employee perks – they are fundamental drivers of organizational agility, investor confidence, and global competitiveness,” said Barry Crisp, Marketing and Communications Director at the Global Centre for Healthy Workplaces. “As companies navigate shifting workforce expectations and at a time when sustainable growth relies heavily on workforce vitality, these leadership teams are proving that when you invest in the physical, mental, and economic health of your workforce, productivity and sustainable growth naturally follow. We look forward to gathering in Lisbon to celebrate their achievements and accelerate the global wellbeing movement.”

Learn more about the 14th Global Healthy Workplace Summit, click here!

Awards Finalist Profiles

Multinational Enterprises (MNEs)

Abbott Laboratories LATAM, Guatemala

Vida Plena is Abbott Latin America’s flagship integrated wellbeing program, present across 18 countries since 2023 and recognized as a regional success story in employee health promotion. The program addresses five pillars of wellbeing — physical, mental, financial, social, and occupational — and is distinguished by its strong governance structure, cross-functional leadership, data-driven design, and deep cultural alignment with a diverse, multinational workforce.

What sets Vida Plena apart is its intentional integration across three key organizational functions: Environment, Health & Safety (EHS), Compensation & Benefits (C&B), and Business Human Resources (BHR). This cross-functional ownership ensures that wellbeing is not a standalone initiative, but a shared organizational responsibility embedded in daily leadership practices, performance management, and business planning.

The program’s strategic goals are: (1) reducing occupational risks and absenteeism; (2) improving physical and mental health outcomes to strengthen talent attraction and retention; (3) increasing employee engagement in wellbeing initiatives; (4) building a culture of prevention and self-care; and (5) ensuring full compliance with applicable local and international health and safety standards.

Vida Plena is formally endorsed by senior regional leadership, reported in Abbott’s Global Sustainability Report, and continuously improved through structured assessment cycles, employee feedback, and external expert consultation. With high adherence and consistently strong outcomes across the region, Vida Plena reflects Abbott’s unwavering commitment to helping every employee live life to the fullest.

Siemens Energy, Germany

The Siemens Energy Global Health Management Strategy provides global leadership and coordination to strengthen health standards, competence, and wellbeing across all countries. While implementation responsibility lies locally, the global team sets direction, ensures consistency, and enables countries through technical guidance, knowledge sharing, and best practice exchange. The program is structured around three health dimensions — physical, mental, and social health — and follows a holistic approach of promotion, prevention, and rehabilitation.

Key global initiatives include Healthy4Life, a monthly global awareness program; the Calm app, offering evidence-based tools to reduce stress and improve sleep; and the annual Health & Wellbeing Week, which reinforces health as an integral part of daily work. In addition, all countries provide Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), ensuring confidential psychological counseling and professional support for employees and, where applicable, their families. These services strengthen early intervention and mental health care accessibility worldwide.

Strong foundations are built through the Zero Harm Building Blocks, defining global minimum health standards, and continuous monitoring via the annual EHS Head Survey and Global Health key performance indicators (KPIs) across physical, mental, and social wellbeing. The program fosters global engagement through regular health meetings, best practice sharing, and communication platforms like SharePoint and Viva Engage — shaping a company culture where health is a visible and shared responsibility among employees, managers, and leadership.

Large Enterprises

Abbott India, India

Abbott India’s Healthy Workplace Program is aligned with the WHO Healthy Workplace Model and is delivered through two complementary pillars:

1. BeStrong, the organisation’s holistic employee wellbeing framework,

2. a robust Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) system that ensures a safe and healthy physical work environment.

BeStrong focuses on integrated wellbeing through four pillars—physical, mental and emotional, financial, and social health—and is uniquely differentiated by its holistic, data-driven, and leadership-led approach. It combines preventive healthcare (health screenings and vaccinations), a best-in-class mental health ecosystem (MindStrong, with counselling, champions, and targeted interventions), and inclusive programming tailored for a highly distributed workforce across offices, manufacturing plants, and more than 500 field locations.

Abbott’s EHS framework ensures strong governance of workplace safety, risk management, and occupational health through standardised policies, continuous training, hazard identification systems, and access to onsite medical support. These efforts are supported by 100% employee coverage under health and safety systems, alongside continuous investments in safe infrastructure and processes.

Together, BeStrong and EHS are embedded within Abbott’s broader ESG and sustainability agenda, promoting a workplace that prioritises employee safety, wellbeing, inclusion, and work-life harmony. This commitment is reinforced through structured employee listening mechanisms, including the “Your Voice Counts” survey. Through this integrated approach, Abbott India is building a sustainable culture of wellbeing and safety, driving both improved employee outcomes and long-term business success.

Singapore Power Group, Singapore

Since its corporatization in 1995, SP Group’s Workplace Health Program (WHP) has evolved from a physical health focus to include mental health, work safety and overall wellbeing following COVID 19 and safe management measures in 2019. Overseen by the Management Safety & Health Committee (MSC), comprising the respective Managing Directors, CEOs and business heads, the WHP is strategically aligned with ISO 45001 and the WHO model, embedding employee wellbeing into SP Group’s organizational and business agenda. Three committees drive health and safety at SP Group: WHP Committee ReCharge Committee and the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Committee, focusing on three key goals:

1. Promoting Healthy Lifestyle: SP Group actively encourages its employees to adopt a healthy lifestyle, both at work and home. This includes initiatives such as promoting physical activity, healthy eating, stress management and ergonomic design.

2. Preventing Occupational Diseases: SP Group takes preventive measures to safeguard its employees’ health via risk assessments, regular medical screenings, training, and implementing safety protocols in compliance with the Workplace Safety & Health (WSH) Act.

Employees across all levels actively participate in the design and implementation of health and wellbeing initiatives through both committees, which comprise representatives from management and non management staff across various departments, in consultation with the Union. This reinforces ownership, inclusiveness and shared responsibility in SP Group’s holistic wellbeing programmes.

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)

African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), Kenya

At the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), the Healthy Workplace program is not just a set of rules, it is a living “Culture of Care” that is being built together. What makes the approach unique is how the WHO Healthy Workplace Framework has been directly woven into daily operations, moving far beyond basic safety checklists. APHRC focuses on five interconnected dimensions of wellness: Physical, Mental, Social, Professional, and Financial. This means caring about everything from safe lab equipment and fitness center access to mental health support, fair career growth, and even helping staff build smart financial habits. A systems-thinking lens means everyone, from the top executive level to the newest intern, shares responsibility. The health and wellbeing goals are clear and rooted in action. Occupational safety and health is integrated into every part of the strategy so it feels natural, not forced. Second, the Center aims to strengthen employee resilience by getting more people involved in wellness programs and genuinely addressing the real drivers of mental and professional stress. Third, workplace hazards are proactively spotted and fixed through regular audits and safety inspections. Ultimately, everyone should feel protected, supported, and empowered to do their best work without compromising their wellbeing.

doctHERs, USA

As a healthcare company, doctHERs holds itself to the highest standard of care for its own people. The RISE ABOVE Health & Wellbeing Program reflects the organisation’s commitment to ensuring that every employee experiences the same quality of 24/7, personalised, and coordinated care that it delivers to its corporate clients. RISE ABOVE is delivered through EVA-AI, doctHERs’ proprietary WhatsApp-native care coordination platform. The platform connects employees and their families to a curated global network of more than 60 contracted healthcare professionals, including general practitioners, specialists, mental health therapists, registered nutritionists, and physiotherapists. These services are available around the clock, seven days a week, at no cost to employees.

A defining feature of the program is its inclusive approach to healthcare access. Coverage extends beyond employees to include their spouses, dependent children, and—critically—their parents. In a workforce where many employees, particularly women, also serve as caregivers for ageing family members, this expanded family coverage has significantly strengthened employee wellbeing. The inclusion of parents has contributed to improved retention, reduced presenteeism, and measurable gains in employee mental health outcomes. Employees have confidence that even a 3 a.m. health emergency involving a parent will receive the same level of coordinated, high-quality care as their own healthcare needs. The program aims to establish a scalable, evidence-based model for employee health that can be replicated across the digital health sector.

Learn more about the 14th Global Healthy Workplace Summit, click here!