2019 Global Healthy Workplaces Large Employer Awards Winner Interview

Hero MotoCorp is the world’s largest 2-wheeler manufacturer based in New Delhi, India. The company has been offering health and wellness services to their 33,000 employees since 2002. Hero’s OHS policy ensures health and wellness is incorporated into the organisation’s business strategy. The cross-functional Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) committee safeguards the eight pillars for safe work, a healthy workforce and increased productivity. The company implements strategically driven and sustainable non-communicable disease (NCD) interventions and tobacco prohibition programs. Hero also places great emphasis on involving the community and following a sustainability based on the triple bottom line.

What does it mean to you to be a Global Healthy Workplace Awards winner?
Hero MotoCorp: This has been one of the biggest awards and global recognition for our Organisation in the field of health and wellness till date. The award has provided us a global recognition and employer branding for Hero MotoCorp as we are the first Indian organisation to receive this award. This has inspired us to improvise & sustain continuous improvements in our programmes and policies, to make our Organisation a better healthy workplace every day. The global healthy workplace 1st position has manifold increased the feeling of trust, pride & dedicated care about health in every employee in our Organisation. It has further strengthened our pillars of leadership support & active employee participation & consolidated our top-down & bottom-up approach towards healthcare and thus, helped us believe that we are leading in the right direction.

What do you think are the particular strengths of your programme?
Hero MotoCorp: Strength of our programme is in perfect alignment & implementation of our health & wellbeing model with WHO healthy workplace model. Strong leadership commitment towards health and well-being & participation in such programme activities and total employee involvement add up to success of our programmes. Diversified, balanced & multidimensional proactive health promotion components of our healthy workplace model are also of major significance.

Where do you see the main challenges of creating a healthy workplace in the future?
Hero MotoCorp: A major challenge is -different needs of employees with extreme demographic profiles viz. age variation and managing cultural diversity. Fast paced innovation & production technology introduces unknown hazards & health risks. Legislative amendments & economics at macro level influences health programmes & policies. Environmental influencers (climate change) has profound effects. Migration & changes in work organisation also contribute as a significant future challenge.

What advice would you give to an employer thinking of developing a new programme?
Hero MotoCorp: To develop an organisation wide Health and wellbeing policy based on local legislations and universal best practices. All programs and policies should be based on felt & identified needs of employees, justified by evidence from health and wellness data e.g. through various surveys & studies etc. Visible commitment & participation from Organisation leadership, adequate budgeting for ongoing programs and maximum participation of workers should be ensured. Programme impact & outcomes should be measurable and manageable with a proper review to adapt & implement as per qualitative & quantitative feedback. Balancing the complex situations of employer & employee relations & working with a proactive approach are basic necessities. Collaborating internally & externally with all relevant interested stakeholders will invariably lead to successful outcomes.

What did you think of the Global Healthy Workplace Summit in Melbourne?
Hero MotoCorp: It was a very well organised global event & provided an international platform for recognising Organisations having outstanding healthy workplace programs and promoting global awareness on the benefits of creating healthy workplaces. The workshop preceding the award presentations emphasised on the WHO healthy workplace model & detailed its various components & importance including practical challenges & ways to overcome. Orations by eminent speakers & global experts in the field of Health & Wellness & interaction with elite delegates from various Nations & Organisations were an academic feast. Queries & inputs from respected judges during the award presentation was enlightening. Our special thanks to Global Centre for Healthy Workplaces, Monash University Australia, all event Organisers, delegates & participants for offering such a memorable occasion.

View Hero MotoCorp’s profile and Awards presentation: https://www.globalhealthyworkplace.org/profile/hero-motocorp-large-employer/

Learn more about the Melbourne Summit: https://www.globalhealthyworkplace.org/event/7th-global-healthy-workplace-summit-melbourne-2019/

Learn more about the Awards: https://www.globalhealthyworkplace.org/awards/application/