ZALORA, Asia’s leading fashion and lifestyle e-commerce platform, has launched several new initiatives aimed at supporting employees through their mental health and well-being journeys, in light of the challenges brought about by the ever-evolving COVID-19 situation in the region.
As part of the initial phase, all full-time staff members will be granted access to benefits that promote mental well-being practices, including:
- Free access to a meditation app that encourage daily reflection
- Weekly guided journaling exercises customized for ZALORA employees;
- A Zoom-free half day every week to ease the intensity of screen time for employees working remotely;
- Two Mental Health Days included within the company’s medical leave policies to encourage time out for self-care;
- A special Occasion Day added to existing annual leave allowances to give more flexibility and time for mental well-being; and
- Access to online mental health platform, which provides free and confidential access to counselling sessions run by qualified psychologists.
Through the roll-out of our new mental health initiatives, we are now able to better support our employees by providing them with access to scientifically proven tools for supporting stress relief and mental health and personal well-being. In addition to providing access to confidential counselling services, subscriptions to top wellness apps and services, the introduction of our new leave categories are aimed at promoting a healthy work-life balance for our employees and provide them with more time to spend on self-care or with their loved ones.”
Louise Pender, General Counsel and Chief People Officer, ZALORA
How it all began
In 2020, amidst the pandemic, ZALORA undertook a comprehensive Future of Work (FoW) survey to consult their employees across the region and gather feedback on their evolving work-life priorities, expectations, and concerns amidst the pandemic.
They learnt that providing flexibility is the key — the majority of their employees prefer remote or hybrid (a mixture of remote and office) working arrangements, while some of their employees still expressed a desire to return to the office full-time.
Among the top reasons for a preference to return to the office was a desire to socialise with their colleagues, fatigue of isolation at home, as well as challenges in being productive while working from home.
That meant offering flexibility and ensuring that we actively support their happiness and wellbeing holistically, through a range of engagement initiatives, including work setup assistance, radical open communication, virtual town halls and get-togethers, and mental health programs.
The events of the last year have spotlighted the importance of placing mental health and personal wellbeing at the top of our To-Do-Lists every day. The initiatives that we have introduced are intended to encourage and support our employees in doing so. Our aim is to create a happy and vibrant workplace, where our employees can feel safe and supported through all of Life’s challenges. We believe it is our responsibility as an employer to promote awareness and normalize conversations around mental health
Louise Pender, General Counsel and Chief People Officer, ZALORA
Their aim is to create a happy and vibrant working environment by providing an outstanding employee experience.
They know this is the best way to help their employees thrive and be at their best in all their endeavours — whether professional or personal.
The insights gathered from ZALORA’s employee survey helped to form the basis of their Future of Work strategy – a structured rollout of initiatives and support policies aimed at ensuring employees’ physical health and safety, as well as supporting their mental health well-being.
The new initiatives are also expected to tie into ZALORA’s Future of Work (FoW) framework – a structured rollout of initiatives and support policies that are aimed at upkeeping employee safety and well-being as they continue to adjust to new norms in the post-pandemic model of work.
