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Taking employee wellbeing to the next level at Zung Fu

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With the inexorable rise of the concept of “workplace wellness” over the past few years, many organisations have implemented strategies aimed at improving employee wellbeing, followed by incorporating metrics to measure the success.

At Zung Fu, immediate business returns are not at the top of its concerns as employee wellbeing is about much more than just numbers.

“We are committed to employee wellness for the long haul. If one has to constantly measure the return of every dollar spent on employee wellness, this is purely business, and this is not how employees should be treated,” says Yolice Wu, group human resources director at Zung Fu.

Aiming to support employees’ physical, mental, financial and social health, Zung Fu’s Key2Wellness programme optimises employee wellbeing through building awareness, improving facilities and cultivating a caring culture.

Zung Fu – the exclusive retailer of Mercedes-Benz automobiles in Hong Kong and Macau – was awarded the gold prize for Excellence in Employee Wellbeing at the HR Distinction Awards Hong Kong 2019.

The involvement of top management As part of the Jardine Matheson Group, Zung Fu is in a privileged position to learn from other companies under the group. Yet, the Key2Wellness programme would not have been successful without senior management’s support and commitment. Zung Fu’s chief executive and managing director were key contributors to the design of the programme.

“Human capital is not only regarded as the most important asset at Zung Fu, but also the driving force behind the company’s sustainable development. We keep investing and implementing various wellness initiatives to create a healthy workplace as we believe every colleague is on his or her own personal wellness journey,” Wu says.

“We need to ensure all the wellness activities are flexible enough to cover all the employees’ wellness needs and interests. There is a mutual understanding across the board and managers that we need to continuously improve our employees’ physical and mental health.”

Encouraging a feedback cultureZung Fu always takes a proactive approach to listen and respond to the needs of employees. Apart from the annual employee engagement survey and focus group, Zung Fu collects feedback through regular town hall meetings as well as physical platforms. A whiteboard and a mood tracker are installed in the office where employees can express their feelings and give suggestions freely.

“We want to make sure there are as many channels as possible for our employees to voice out their thoughts,” Wu says.

“After collecting responses from employees, timely feedback is very important. Taking action translates to encouragement for the employees to continue an open and transparent conversation.”

Since open-mindedness and transparency is part of Zung Fu’s DNA, all employees are invited to share their views on recent staff policies with the management team during monthly Happy Friday Gatherings.

Zung Fu works on ensuring that each individual feels safe and comfortable when sharing their feedback.

“We always take employees’ feedback very seriously, and we aim to cater to everybody’s needs. Even though sometimes we cannot meet all the demands, we always find ways to circle back to the issue.”

Curating an exceptional wellness-oriented journey for employees Other than setting up facilities such as a staff canteen, gym room, and breastfeeding room, Zung Fu encourages staff to take care of their own health through a myriad of activities, including on-site health screening, Green Monday (meat free) menus, massage days, a teddy love project to promote social mobility and integration among those recovering from mental illness, family carnivals, regular handicraft workshops, and company trips – both locally and to Mainland China, to name but a few.

“Being an employer is similar to parenting. We feel obliged to help our employees grow and be healthy because that is the right thing to do, not because of the financial returns. Since we aim to provide all colleagues ‘Exceptional Journeys’, a culture of caring is at the core of what we do.” Wu says.

“If we are doing something right, even though we cannot see a return on the spot, in three to five years, there will be one for sure.”

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