The general perception of big private companies among people is that they do not waste any opportunity to enslave their employees. But this observation is slowly changing around the world. Companies globally have started a new policy of giving maximum happiness to their employees along with their salaries. But here, the UAE-based Aries Group has started a new revolution by creating a ‘Happiness Division’ for its employees.
The Aries Group, a diversified multinational consortium with offices across 16 countries, has special plans for its employees that will last for a year. The group’s founding chairman and CEO, Dr. Sohan Roy’s daughter Nivedya Sohan Roy, a Naval architect, organizes and leads such an idea-based training program.
Nivedya, also a psychologist, started the ‘Happiness Project’ by launching an extensive counseling session. The first phase focused on identifying and resolving occupational problems that employees generally experience at work. Subsequently, new plans were formulated each month to ensure the physical and mental development of the staff and their family members. Small challenges, along with cash awards and other incentives, have also been included.
The challenges of the first month were based on healthcare. Special social media pages were started by the department to discover and promote the artistic talents of the employees. Prizes, including cash awards, were given to employees who completed work and career-related training on time. Through these challenges, Niya made every employee a part of this personality development drive and provided them an opportunity to participate in it according to their interests.
Aries Group is one of the few companies in the world that issued 50% of its shares to its employees. The company also provides special allowances and scholarships, and incentives for initiating startups, health management systems and implements social security programs.
Employees working in various private sectors are currently facing increasing psychological stress, as concerns over the global workforce recession have hit again with the second wave of COVID. The only solution to sail through these tough times is by keeping our happiness and optimism intact. Following this thought, even politicians today have begun to think about initiating a Happiness Ministry. There was such a ministry in the Madhya Pradesh cabinet and one in Andhra Pradesh as well.
A prominent front in Kerala announced through their election manifesto that a “Ministry of Happiness” would be formed in Kerala. Anyway, while governments and political parties are still pondering about it, Aries Group is happy to have started a division of its own to spread happiness in its Family.
