Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) provides individual and group counselling services to its employees through the DEWA’s Employee Assistance Programme. Estisharati is the first of its kind on the level of government organisations in the UAE and operates in cooperation with two counselling centres and several psychologists who speak different languages. This is part of DEWA’s efforts to enhance employee satisfaction level, and provide a stimulating and positive work environment that contributes to enhancing employees’ efficiency and commitment.
The Employee Happiness Department launched the programme in December 2016. The programme works by providing individual and group counselling, and providing effective ways to solve problems that employees may face, thereby reducing the pressures of life and enhancing opportunities for them to improve their performance and productivity in the workplace.
To date, DEWA has provided individual counselling to 102 staff members, including four staff members who are people of determination. This is based on the results of the stress test survey, which was carried out by the Employee Happiness Department. The survey measures the workload, checks the staff’s requirements, carefully monitors the work environment, and checks how appropriate the work environment is to encourage creativity and excellence. The programme’s team also held sessions on the importance of the programme and its benefits at DEWA headquarters, and its branches in Al Quoz, Al Warsan, Al Hudaiba, and Jebel Ali.
“We learned from HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, that employee happiness is essential to achieve community happiness. We are committed to launching initiatives and programmes aimed at making employees happy, and making them committed, to help them overcome the practical, personal, and social difficulties of life. This supports the vision of our wise leadership to make Dubai the happiest city in the world. Estisharati confirm DEWA’s support to its staff, and makes them aware of their skills and capabilities. This benefits them, as well as their families, and enhances their productivity and creativity,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.
“DEWA has various programmes to satisfy and meet the needs of employees, and to support them in their career and personal life. DEWA takes responsibility for its staff and places it in its priorities of community work. Over the past few years, DEWA’s efforts have contributed to an increase in community satisfaction and happiness levels to 83.22% in 2017,” concluded Al Tayer.
The programme includes a survey to measure stress, sent by DEWA to its staff every quarter. This programme helps in identifying employees who suffer from high stress levels, and then communicating with them to find out the causes and then, encouraging them to participate in Estisharati. The programme also includes organising workshops for employees on the concept of happiness and how to achieve it in their professional and personal life, as well as dealing with pressure, among others.