HEALTH
It’s good to talk
Emotional Well-Being Roadshow offers employees space to discuss mental health.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has placed untold pressures on workforces across the world, but Aramco’s Human Resources (HR) and joint venture Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare (JHAH) is going the extra mile to promote well-being and emotional health among its employees as part of their Well-Being Strategy.
HR’s Management & Professional Development Department has partnered with JHAH to deliver informative sessions on emotional well-being during challenging times — especially for workers in the field located in remote areas.
The three-hour sessions — with up to three medical experts on hand — encourage an open discussion about emotional well-being and offer proven techniques to empower employees to maintain their mental health balance and build resilience.
Resilience
President and CEO, Amin Nasser, has taken a personal interest in the well-being of employees and recorded a special message to be shown at each session.
“Over the past several months, I have been deeply grateful for the sacrifices you have made and the resilience you have demonstrated as we deal with the COVID-19 pandemic,” Nasser said.
“These have been stressful and uncertain times. Together we have faced numerous challenges regarding safety, separation from our families, travel restrictions, and a struggling global economy.
“And, through every test we have faced, I am so proud of what we have accomplished as a team. But, I also understand how stress can affect our well-being — that is why we must ensure that our people remain our priority and we must give our well-being the attention it deserves.”
The president and CEO said that employees would be empowered with the tools offered by the health experts.
“You will know that help is available and how to access it, and the importance of looking out for one another,” Nasser said.
Well-being
Lamah F. Khayyal, administrator of Management Development Services, has played a pivotal role in the initiative.
“This initiative arose from our senior management’s concern about our employees’ well-being in the company, and specifically during the pandemic,” she explained.
“The big focus is on the field workers.
“The fieldworkers are often located in remote areas and have faced a very challenging situation. Our focus was to provide some support for those employees,” Khayyal said.
“It provides support to employees to talk about things usually shied away from. When we talk about emotional well-being, this is something that hasn’t been addressed before so openly.”
Providing the tools
Dr. Abdul Sammad A. Jishi has been one of the medical experts in the sessions. He said that it is vital to provide people — especially in remote areas — with the tools to deal with anxiety and worries.
“Not only do these workshops help participants understand the basics of emotional stressors, but they also provide them with hands-on tools, which teach them how to deal with these stressors, with anxiety, and with depression.
“In these workshops, we discuss depression; its causes, signs, and symptoms, and how it is treated. We also discuss anxiety and its causes, and the methods that are used to deal with it, particularly the non-pharmacological interventions.
You can download our “Mental Health Tool Kit,” or for more information about our mental health resources, visit: JHAH.com>Care Services>Specialty Care>Mental Health.
If you are suffering from feelings of depression, stress, or isolation, call the JHAH Emotional Help Line, available Sunday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. This confidential service is available to all Aramco and JHAH employees, and their family members.