Meralco establishes corporate wellness program, redefines employee healthcare

For a 24-7 service company like Meralco, nothing could be more important than the well-being of its 6,000 employees. It could have the most modern equipment and facilities but without the people to run these facilities and attend to its customers’ needs, homes and businesses in its franchise would not be enjoying the quality of service it does now.

To ensure that its personnel are always in top condition, Meralco implemented a corporate wellness program in which employees undergo a guided healthcare program that is suited to each individual’s health profile. In keeping with Meralco’s hundred-year tradition of treating employee healthcare with paramount importance – a tradition that was further strengthened with the establishment of the John F. Cotton Hospital – the corporate wellness program follows a holistic approach to healthcare, covering the physical, nutritional, emotional, psychological, social and even spiritual well-being of the employees.

"The general thrust of this program is to change the company’s healthcare perspective from therapeutic to preventive," explained Sanirose Orbeta, CWC Consultant for Nutrition and Diet. "Our approach is holistic and shared caring. That involves educating the employees and conducting individual consultations. We don’t just give them a cut and dried program that they have to follow.

"Our core care team is composed of experts in various fields who work together for a balanced approach to wellness. It’s not just the physical wellness but the entire well-being of the individual that we want to achieve," she said.

An ounce of prevention

Periodic physical examinations are nothing new to corporate employees. But with the corporate wellness program, Meralco provides appropriate support and follow-through, as well as access to facilities that employees need to maintain their overall well-being.

The company recently inaugurated its Corporate Wellness Center in its Ortigas office where employees can have their regular check-ups and consultations. The center – a continuing legacy of the John F. Cotton Hospital – also houses a pharmacy, an emergency room and even a chapel, among others.

Meralco has given this program such importance that even canteen concessionaires are advised to serve "healthy" dishes.

"Meralco may be considered one of the forerunners in the area of preventive healthcare for employees," added Joaquin Sinco, WCW Consultant on Athletics and Sports. "Though other companies also have good health programs for its employees, Meralco is perhaps the only company that has an elaborate in-house facility and program that focuses on employee well-being."

Aside from exercise, employees are given instruction on proper diet and even counseling for stress management. They are also encouraged to join organizations and participate in social activities and even encourage the involvement of their families in achieving total wellness.

"We are really catalysts of change," said Orbeta. "A lot of misconceptions about healthcare were clarified and we are able to affect a positive lifestyle change among the employees. It’s no longer just going to the doctor or taking medication when you’re sick but about taking care of yourself – physically, mentally, emotionally, etc. – in order to maintain good health."

Better customer service

Aside from the obvious benefits to every employee’s personal well-being, the ultimate beneficiaries of Meralco’s corporate wellness program are its customers.

"If our employees are healthy at all times, this would definitely reflect positively on their performance – there would be less absences due to sickness, better quality of work, higher productivity and better customer service in general," said Ruben Sapitula, Senior Assistant Vice President and Head of Human Resources Administration.

"The company is also able to save on the cost of employee healthcare because it is less expensive to keep them healthy than to pay for their medication or hospitalization when they get sick," he said. "These savings could be invested on projects that would improve our service to customers."

According to Sapitula, they are now in the process of assigning corporate wellness coordinators in each of Meralco’s 30 branches and ten sectors across its franchise to ensure that all employees are able to take advantage of this program.