How Whirlpool is encouraging its employees to 'Be*Well'

Zenobia Madon, Director HR - Talent, Strategy and Organisation, EMEA, Whirlpool Corporation

The dynamic backdrop of the last few years has made the focus on corporate wellness more important than ever, with rapidly changing expectations around both the way we work and what we want from work.

At Whirlpool Corp., the wellness of our employees has always been a key focus area since the company was founded in 1911. Each employee has specific needs, goals and expectations, and as a company we believe in being intentional, listening, and doing our best as an organization to support the holistic needs of our people.

The expectations of corporate wellness programs have evolved alongside the workplace. Wellbeing isn’t limited to just one aspect of health; it is impacted by our physical, mental, social, financial, occupational and personal needs. A healthy and well-functioning workforce requires initiatives and policies that are focused on encompassing all aspects of life.

After joining Whirlpool Corp. in October 2021, I was particularly impressed by the wonderful programs already in place, such as our flexible working policy, health & wellness initiatives, coaching support, and employee resource groups. Despite going through the challenges of relocation to a new country and a demanding work schedule, having this available encouraged me to continue to have a focused approach to my lifestyle and wellness almost immediately.

I see wellbeing as an ongoing journey one undertakes with themselves, for themselves and to become a better version of themselves. It’s why I’m so passionate about the impact I can make as a HR leader. By uplifting people and organizations, we can make the workplace a safe forum where all can be their authentic selves, express their thoughts & needs freely, embrace diversity of all kinds and, as a business, build on our great practices in the area of corporate wellness, continually.

Whirlpool Corp.’s vision “to be in constant pursuit of improving life at home” is at the heart of all we do as a business. For our customers, we provide industry leading products and services that they count on every day, year after year. This vision also translates into our approach toward our people as well as the creation of initiatives to ensure we are improving life for them, at home and at work.

“Corporate wellness is undoubtedly here to stay and will evolve with increasing importance in the times to come. It will continue to be a key focus for business & HR leaders, and will require continued assessment of what our programs deliver and what our employees' needs are.”

Whirlpool Corp. launched the company’s Be*Well program in 2021, our global wellbeing strategy aiming to ensure holistic support for the wellbeing of employees in every aspect of home and work life. In the spirit of a holistic wellbeing approach, the Be*Well program has combined all of the work we do to take care of our people under one strategy. The program approaches wellbeing through various initiatives linked into 6 pathways that represent all areas of wellbeing and how they are all connected:

• Be Balanced - Staying emotionally healthy by balancing home, work, and play helps us live a more fulfilling life.

• Be Curious - Learning enhances our career development and creates confidence in our lives. Growth shapes our work and life for the better.

• Be Prepared - Planning helps us achieve our short and long term financial goals. A simple plan can help us live a more sustainable lifestyle.

• Be Connected - Building social and inclusive relationships helps us contribute and communicate. We are better when we can be heard, valued, respected, and welcomed.

• Be Healthy - Managing our physical health goals by staying fit allows us to live a healthy, happy life.

• Be You - We promote the freedom to be unique and bring your true self to work. The journey to self-care leads to a genuine, meaningful life that is happier and healthier.

In taking this holistic approach to employee wellbeing, we ensure our colleagues are provided with the tools and resources to help them and their families on a path to being well.

As the needs of corporate wellness programs continue to transform, there is also a demand for continued innovation and for companies to demonstrate an approach that goes beyond the conventional, and that enhances employee engagement. We’ve aimed to tackle this at Whirlpool through our EMEA Be*Well Challenge, where we’ve collaborated with the ‘Healthy Virtuoso’ app for the second year in a row.

The EMEA Be*Well Challenge invites our employees across the EMEA region to challenge each other and have fun through various wellness activities, with the aim of fostering a social approach to wellbeing and inspiring healthy competition throughout our EMEA offices. With the opportunity to climb the leader boards, have location-based teams collaborate, and numerous awards up for offer, we’ve been able to promote collaboration between employees and inspire them to do better and better to stay fit and take care of themselves. We’re very excited to see the outcomes of this year’s challenge which will undoubtedly follow the previous year’s starting success of 1240 participants.

Corporate wellness is undoubtedly here to stay and will evolve with increasing importance in the times to come. It will continue to be a key focus for business & HR leaders, and will require continued assessment of what our programs deliver and what our employees' needs are.

At Whirlpool Corp., we believe when all aspects of our wellbeing are in balance, we are able to thrive both at work and in our personal lives - it’s why we see people’s wellbeing as a strategic business priority and remain committed to enhancing our approach to encourage our employees to ‘Be*Well’.

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