“Employee well-being has always been a priority at Juniper Networks. We want our employees to have flexibility in the way they work – which aligns with how we have created our benefits plan in APAC – to ensure it is an all-rounded holistic environment that caters to people of different demographics and cultures, anytime and anywhere.” – Shirley Yeung, Total Rewards Director, APAC
The pandemic and its aftermath have profoundly impacted our professional and personal lives, especially with the paradigm shift on mental health, well-being and attaining better work-life harmony.
This changing perception means that it is necessary for organizations to provide continued flexibility and introduce enhanced employee benefits that cater to this new transformation and beyond. At the very core is the importance of creating a strong workplace culture that can evolve with the changing times regardless of where we work – anytime and anywhere.
At Juniper Networks, reimagining the way we work to ensure sustained flexibility and addressing the well-being of our employees is critical to establishing a strong and lasting cultural fabric, which is why we are continually investing in our benefits program for employees. Our employees are our most valuable asset and the true currency of our business, and it’s important that they are happy, healthy and engaged.
The APAC WeCare Wellness Program
With this in mind, the APAC WeCare Wellness Program was launched in January 2022 with the purpose of supporting employees’ wellness and a flexible work model. It’s a holistic integration of four dimensions of wellness that have been built into the program and rolled out throughout the year:
- Financial Wellness (Q1) – focuses on financial wellness and was launched after the holiday season. The rationale behind this was to encourage employees to think about building a strong financial future.
- Mental Wellness (Q2) – engages the mind and improving mental health. This was launched in line with Mental Health Awareness Month in May.
- Spiritual Wellness (Q3) – works to improve overall well-being and practice self-care, while aligning with International Day of Peace and International Week of Happiness at Work in September.
- Physical Wellness (Q4) – focuses on healthy living by keeping active through exercising, eating well and sleeping even better.
Technology is at the heart of what we do at Juniper, and this includes digitally-led programs to accommodate the new way of working. Across various wellness initiatives implemented, the TaskHuman Wellness app and the CLEO Family Support program came up top in offering round-the-clock access to a network of coaches, experts and resources. With TaskHuman, Juniper employees and their spouses/domestic partners can seek 1:1 support through live video chats from individual coaches that cover many wellness categories, from personal growth to mental health and well-being.
To date, Juniper employees have hit over 2 million minutes of coaching on the TaskHuman app and surpassed 1 million minutes in just over one year. The results have further substantiated the need for such programs to continue in the long term.
We also saw the need to address challenges faced by working parents, so we launched the CLEO Family Support app to support employees with kids while returning to the office, finding childcare, introducing new or changing family routines and more. Among these programs are other benefits that we have put in place, including Emoha, Optum MyLiveWell app, and a robust insurance and healthcare program for all employees to ensure they are well taken care of. As part of our efforts to build comprehensive employee care and wellness through digital technologies, we were honored to have been recognized as winners of the People Matters and MediBuddy’s wellness recognition initiative in India earlier this year.
Our annual employee voice survey is another important component in helping shape our workplace culture, defining our focus areas and ensuring we are focusing on the needs of all employees. Results are confidentially evaluated by leaders across our organization so that necessary action can be taken to improve our overall employee experience.
An Employee-First Workplace
Our priority has always been to put our employees first. Understanding what empowers and motivates them is central to the way we are designing our benefits program while ensuring these benefits align with our organizational goals. Whether an employee is a new college graduate, a parent or someone who needs to care for an elderly family member at home, we are focused on building an employee-first workplace that can support their professional and personal needs. In doing so, we can build a positive workplace to help everyone succeed.
As we continue to navigate the new normal and embrace the way we work at Juniper, we’re also focused on finding the right balance between the flexibility that makes us effective and productive while preserving the culture that has always made Juniper unique.
By addressing the evolving mindsets of the workforce today through the creation of employee-led benefits and practices, we will be able to make hybrid work truly effective, allowing us to create a thriving workplace for the future. Find out more about our culture and career opportunities here.
