Latest news with #wellnessprograms
Khaleej Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Is your retirement plan 'outdated'? Here's what experts say
The age of 65 may still be the official retirement milestone, but in reality, it's no longer the finish line. As life expectancy continues to rise in the UAE, financial experts are urging residents to rethink what retirement looks like, and more importantly, how to prepare for it. The challenge today isn't just retiring; it's sustaining a comfortable and healthy life for 25 to 30 years or more after leaving the workforce. 'The traditional model of retiring at 65 is becoming increasingly outdated,' said Shohidul Choudhury, Co-Founder and CEO of DNA Health & Wellness. 'Many individuals now face a substantial post-retirement life, necessitating a dynamic approach that includes diverse income sources, such as dividend-generating investments and well-balanced portfolios.' This extended lifespan is redefining what it means to retire, and, more importantly, how to plan for it. A longer retirement means more years of expenses, healthcare needs, and financial uncertainty. Experts say this demands a new kind of retirement strategy, one that includes not only savings and investments, but also a serious, proactive focus on long-term health. 'Most financial plans underestimate the long-term expenses associated with maintaining health,' Choudhury said. 'Preventive healthcare, such as routine screenings and proactive wellness programs, should be integrated early into retirement strategies. Traditional health insurance often focuses on reactive measures, but policies that prioritize annual health assessments can provide better long-term value.' Choudhury explained that as we live longer, it's not just about adding years to life, but adding healthy years. 'Longevity today is not just about living longer; it's about living healthier, more productive lives well into our 70s, 80s, and even 90s,' he said. 'Many chronic diseases are preventable and stem from lifestyle choices, including diet, sleep, and stress management. Longevity is about extending health span, the years we live in good health, rather than just lifespan.' That health span, he emphasised, needs to be factored directly into any financial roadmap. 'Individuals typically spend just 12 per cent of their lifetime healthcare expenditures on preventive health, while up to 90 per cent occurs in the final years if chronic illnesses arise,' Choudhury noted. 'By shifting that balance earlier, individuals can improve their quality of life and reduce the financial burden of chronic illness later on.' The idea of setting up a dedicated health budget, not as a luxury but as a long-term investment, is gaining traction. 'By prioritising regular screenings and healthy habits, individuals can avoid costly chronic conditions,' he said. 'This proactive approach not only safeguards quality of life but also extends independence well into retirement.' Financial experts echo the need for a more holistic approach. Dr. Tariq Al-Farsi, a financial advisor, said that the traditional model of relying on a pension or a single source of income is no longer sufficient. 'Financial strategies should align with health goals,' he said. 'Planning for a longer life means considering both financial security and well-being as interconnected priorities.' He believed that preparing for an extended retirement means thinking beyond savings accounts. 'Incorporating long-term care insurance into your financial plan is essential,' he said. 'It helps mitigate the costs associated with potential health issues as one ages. Additionally, exploring annuities can provide a steady income, ensuring that you won't outlive your savings.' Early action, according to both health and financial professionals, remains the most powerful tool. 'The earlier you start planning, the more powerful the results can be,' Choudhury said. That means saving, investing, and taking control of one's health well before retirement age. Dr Amina Hamadi, a geriatrician, emphasised that lifestyle choices made today have a long-lasting impact. 'The aging process can be managed effectively with the right lifestyle choices,' she said. 'Patients who engage in preventive care tend to have lower healthcare costs and better overall health outcomes. Regular check-ups and screenings can catch issues early, leading to more effective and less costly treatments.'
Forbes
23-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
SAP Insights Newsletter: Coding Fun With GenAI
GenAI coding tools promise to upend how developers work. Which isn't a bad thing; in fact, there's much to like. getty New tools, new rules. GenAI coding tools promise to upend how developers work. Which isn't a bad thing; in fact, there's much to like. The problem is when there are no clear guidelines in place about when and how those tools are used. You could end up with subpar code, issues with IP, security problems, and more. We're certainly not suggesting any of this is intentional—only that difficulties (now and later) can arise if there's a lack of supervision and strategy. Now for the good news: there are steps you can take today to build that strategy. Make sure you don't miss out by subscribing to the next SAP Insights newsletter. Here's what else you can expect from the next edition: Flying ahead. GenAI is also coming soon to a flight pattern near you. Aeronautics is a complex, heavily regulated, and expensive industry. Manufacturers are beginning to use GenAI to modernize and streamline airplane production, while researchers are using it to provide better satellite data. How ya feelin'? Employee health and wellness programs have become ubiquitous in workplaces, yet research into their efficacy has been scarce. There's a growing body of work that suggests these programs often underperform. Are these programs a bad idea? Not if they're well designed. Research that hasn't reached your inbox. Our research roundup in this issue includes insights into why shrinking now is good for later; why, when it comes to innovating, it doesn't matter where those innovators are; and why the modern workplace needs some design rethinking—turns out employees will move to companies with workspaces they like.
Harvard Business Review
12-05-2025
- Business
- Harvard Business Review
Research: Are You Penalizing Your Best Employees for Unplugging?
The blurring of boundaries between people's jobs and personal lives, exacerbated by the pandemic, can make it feel like the workday never ends. The burnout that results from never quite feeling unplugged has become a major drain on workers and businesses, reducing employee well-being and productivity. Employers have responded by promoting wellness programs and encouraging work-life balance—initiatives proven to increase productivity, reduce turnover, and boost job satisfaction. But our research reveals a hidden contradiction at the heart of these efforts: While companies say they want employees to unplug, they may be quietly punishing those who actually do. In new research, published in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, we found that even when leaders recognized that detaching from work boosts employee well-being and improves job performance, they still penalized employees who engaged in these behaviors when they were up for a promotion or being considered for a new role. This is because these workers were seen as less committed than those who worked around the clock, even if their job performance during working hours was perceived to be higher than their 'committed' counterparts. But we also found that there are structural changes organizations can make to help protect workers' boundaries without also penalizing them: creating a culture that both mitigates burnout and rewards strong work. The Research Across 16 studies with 7,800 of participants, we explored a simple question: How are employees who try to switch off from work during non-work hours perceived? In controlled experiments, we presented managers with profiles of employees who were identical in quality (i.e., past annual evaluations) but varied in their use of detachment strategies. For example, one employee left an out-of-office reply during a weekend getaway while the other employee did not. Managers consistently reported that the employee who disconnected from work over the weekend would be more recharged and more productive upon their return, thus recognizing the benefits of detachment on employee performance. However, they also penalized that same employee in evaluations, consistently rating them as less committed and less promotable than their colleague. This penalty persisted even when the detaching employee was a manager's direct report, when the detaching employee was objectively better at their job, when neither of the employees actually did any work during their time off, and when the reason for detachment was virtuous (e.g., caring for a sick family member). Perhaps our most eye-opening finding? The effect was just as strong among managers who say they value work-life balance as it was among those who do not. Even managers who report having explicitly encouraged detachment in their organizations penalized detaching employees in our studies. That is not just inconsistent and unfair, it is a recipe for a burnout culture. Why It Happens The issue lies in how we, as leaders, interpret effort and commitment. We are trained, often unconsciously, to value visibility and responsiveness as a proxy for dedication. Employees who respond late at night or skip vacations are seen as 'going the extra mile.' Meanwhile, those who protect their non-work hours are viewed as less passionate, less committed, and therefore less promotable, even when they are equally or more effective on the job. This mindset ignores our own lay theories and years of supportive research showing that people who detach from work come back more energized, more productive, and less likely to burn out. This detachment paradox reinforces a damaging culture, rewarding those who constantly stay plugged in and, over time, creating a leadership pipeline that undervalues work-life balance. The result is a self-perpetuating cycle of overwork and burnout is increasingly difficult to break. Ultimately, everyone loses: Employees suffer, organizations pay the price in lowered productivity and increased turnover, and the broader economy feels the impact through rising healthcare costs due to work stress. What Leaders Can Do Our findings suggest that executives and managers must be intentional about how they communicate around work-life balance and must implement concrete policies so their organization are practicing what they preach. Vague or half-hearted efforts to promote balance may do more harm than good if the evaluation system rewards the performance of constant availability. We offer leaders the following recommendations to help them break their teams out of the damaging cycle of overwork: Ask yourself: Who are you rewarding? Are your highest-rated employees those who seem most 'available' or those who are actually doing the best job? If your top performers feel they must sacrifice rest to prove commitment, your evaluation system may be broken. Redefine commitment. Start separating performance from presence. Being constantly available should not be equated with dedication. Make it clear that outcomes, not responsiveness or hours logged, are the benchmark. Stick to working hours. Discourage managers from contacting employees outside of work hours unless necessary. Many email programs have built-in alerts that can remind managers and employees when they are sending messages outside of standard hours. When off-hours work is expected, offer overtime pay or compensatory time. Implement policies that encourage detachment. Clear, formal policies change norms. In one of our studies, which included 200 U.S. managers, we found that simply showing them a company policy that encouraged email-free weekends significantly reduced managers' subconscious bias against those who disconnect. Make sure your company has policies to help reinforce stated values. Train managers. Penalizing those who unplug—or favoring those who do not—is often done unconsciously. Help your managers spot these biases and counteract them during performance reviews and hiring conversations by reminding them of company values and policies around work-life balance. Whatever steps you take, ensure buy-in from leaders across the organization. Clear, consistently enforced policies are more effective than broad statements of support. . . . Expectations about when and how employees should be available for work have permeated our workplace culture. Our research shows just how hard these assumptions are to shake, even when people recognize the value of greater work-life balance and support well-being in theory. To build a high-performing and sustainable organization, we must eliminate the bias against employees who are willing to set clear boundaries around their work and instead hold them up as models for others. We need to redefine commitment not as self-sacrifice, but as the ability to show up energized, focused, and ready to contribute. If your company claims to value employee well-being, your promotions and policies must reflect that. In the long run, your best employees are not the ones who burn out trying to prove their worth. They are the ones who know when to switch off so they can consistently show up at their best.
