Berg said not every business in the world can shut down their offices for an entire week, but every organisation and HR team should be doing what they can to focus on the health, safety and well-being of their workforce. "As the world of work has shifted dramatically and the spotlight has fallen on HR, we all have the chance to act responsibly for our workforce and to find new initiatives and ways to support employees," she said.

The initiative of Wellness Week was first launched in 2021 by Spotify, which was a resounding success. Considering this, Spotify, considered one of the best workplaces to work, has decided to bring it back this year as well. "In November last year, after a traumatic 18 (plus) months, we closed our offices for a week so that each and every one of our employees had the opportunity to put some extra focus on their own wellness. We called it Wellness Week…and it’s back," said Berg.

Many companies are now prioritising employee well-being to provide the best working environment, and thus attract top talent.

Global office space provider WeWork, earlier this month, had announced a 10-day extended Diwali break for its employees in India. WeWork also offers 10 days of workation where the employees can travel anywhere across the country and work from there.

A similar initiative was taken by e-commerce startup Meesho in September when it announced an 11-day companywide break to allow employees to completely unplug from work and prioritise mental well-being after the busy festive sale period.

In the wake of the third wave of the Covid pandemic, health and safety have become a priority for many startups as hybrid models of work continue to witness increased adoption. The initiatives by startups come at a time when burnout and anxiety have emerged as key concerns for today’s workforce.

In August 2022, a Deloitte survey said poor mental health among employees costs Indian employers around $14 billion per year due to absenteeism, attrition and presenteeism – the phenomenon of attending to work while under mental stress and hence, performing at low productivity.

Spotify Wellness Week

Spotify to shut offices for a week to allow employees to ‘recharge’