We live in a world where everyone is rushing after one thing or another. For some, it is to earn just enough to make their ends meet, while some are chasing a profound passion, and then there are some with limitless desires and dreams to fulfill in this lifetime.
But haven't we all been through at least one of these stages in life? There has been a significant increase in the number of young entrepreneurs in the last couple of years, striving to be agents of change and development in the current economic spectrum. But there has also been an increase in people with deteriorating mental and physical health.
We tend to become oblivious that our endless goals and ambitions come with a huge price to pay. But it needn't be at the cost of our mental and physical health. An individual's productivity is adversely impacted due to poor holistic health. So, if we let our dreams come in the way of our mental and physical health, our health will not happily befriend our goals either.
Mental and physical wellness and productivity go hand in hand. Sometimes, work pressure, deadlines, and targets take their toll on the best of the employees, as a result of which their productivity dips, resulting in financial loss for the organization too.
As we live through a period of extraordinary uncertainty, one major consequence is an undercurrent of emotional and psychological disturbance caused by rising levels of anxiety, stress, loneliness, financial insecurity, and lack of social interactions.
These emotional challenges have become a source of continued stress for both employers and employees. While business leaders are experiencing these challenges on an individual level, they are also required to provide a supportive environment to their workforce with their own respective set of anxieties, fears, and emotional concerns.
Healthier employees are less likely to call in sick or use vacation time due to illness Companies that support workplace health have a more significant percentage of employees at work every day. Because employee health frequently carries over into better health behavior that impacts both the employee and their family.
Another aspect of health that is shoved under the veil of shame and embarrassment is women's menstrual health. Even in today's day and age, with women breaking biases and barriers, shattering stereotypes, and leading changes in all spheres and arenas, their menstrual health is not as openly spoken of as it should be.
Unreasonably, there is a sense of shame and stigma attached to the monthly cycle. It is some out-worldly aspect to women that a particular section of humans confined to a set pattern of social conditioning cannot come to terms with it. At PRAG, this is what we aim to debunk by spreading awareness on menstrual health and how it may impact a woman's overall wellbeing and productivity.
On March 22, 2018, just three months into existence, PRAG was busy preparing for their maiden round table conference at Constitution Club in New Delhi to champion the cause of the Female Menstruation Bill, 2017, which was a member bill by Ninong Erring, MP, Arunanchal East. The bill provided two days of menstrual leave to women at the workplace during their periods.
While the initiative had been doing the round for months, waiting to be tabled in the parliament, PRAG was walking the talk on the bill and actually practicing what it preached. Though fewer in number, female employees and interns in the company had already started receiving a period of leave. The efforts paid off, and the policy became official, yet this small but significant piece of information was seemingly lost amidst the din and clamor of the heated round table discussion. But not at PRAG. We continue to believe and preach the #Right2Rest for women.
From the very beginning, we wanted to make sure that the environment in the company is absolutely conducive for the employees to talk about their health concerns openly. Being a company with modern outlooks, such initiatives were always on our agenda.
In one of the routine meetings, one of our female employees was clearly in discomfort. She had been feeling 'unwell' for two days. We enquired about it, under the impression that it was just some minor illness. It was only when she told us about the cramps and pains that she faced during the periods that really prompted us to do something about it.
After a few discussions, we came up with an idea to grant every menstruating employee mandatory one-day leave. And as shocking as it may be for some, it was purely a productivity-driven decision. We expect our employees to give their best and the least that we can do is provide them with a friendly environment. Almost a year later, the results were in the open for all to witness. We are seeing a change in the outlook and productivity of our employees.
This #Right2Rest for women has been spread to the UK, Nepal, and other countries. My passion for this cause stems from my aim to spread awareness of women's menstrual health in rural areas where the populace needs to be educated and sensitized on the subject urgently. Women anywhere in the world shouldn't suffer due to a lack of awareness of menstrual health.
It shouldn't come as a surprise to the citizens of our country that an Indian-origin company can raise a campaign of this magnitude and go overseas on this subject which is unreasonably taboo even in this day and age when women are leading changes globally.
At PRAG, one of our fundamental beliefs is to create a conducive environment for all to operate in. If the space you spend most of your productive time of the day in is stifling and toxic, there is no way to achieve the desired output, regardless of the field of work. Holistic well-being is a prerequisite to excelling in every walk of life. PRAG has proudly advocated this since its inception and will continue until the message reaches one and all.
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