In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM), observed internationally throughout May, Unified National Networks (UNN) urged its employees to adopt healthier lifestyle choices.
UNN encourages staff to take moments, whether through short breaks or participating in activities, to prioritise their mental health without guilt or shame.
UNN highlighted its initiatives launched in 2021 to destigmatise mental health, creating a positive and safe environment empowering employees to enhance their mental well-being and maintain a healthy work-life balance, which includes a regular physical activity.
The UNN Employee Safety and Wellness (ESW), UNN Change Management (CM), and UNN Corporate Communications and Public Relations (CCPR) teams collaborate to introduce these activities, allowing UNN staff to participate individually or as a team.
Earlier this month, UNN employees were introduced to a set of 25 goals which includes decluttering workspaces, using stairs instead of lifts, engaging in self-care activities, eating balanced healthy lunches, and participating in UNN inter-house tournaments.
The activities are designed to encourage employees to take breaks from their workstations, move around, and celebrate their efforts to care for their minds and bodies.
The UNN Healthy Lifestyle Programme (HLP), initiated in 2021, encourages employees to form communities based on their hobbies. These communities organise activities they enjoy and connect with like-minded colleagues through shared participation.
In September 2023, UNN Sport Houses were established under this programme, randomly assigning all 700 UNN employees to different houses to pursue their hobbies on a larger, competitive scale.
Between January and March, employees from the four UNN Sport Houses competed in inter-house tournaments in futsal, netball, bowling, paintball, and e-sports. Employees also engaged in friendly matches of futsal, badminton, and netball with other communities from Darussalam Assets Sdn Bhd (DA), Datastream Digital Sdn Bhd (DST), imagine, and Progresif Sdn Bhd.
UNN has also implemented sharing sessions to engage its employees regularly. Internal sessions focus on UNN core values and feature individuals or teams eager to share personal and work experiences, resources, and information with colleagues.
External sharing sessions feature religious counsellors and professional practitioners from the Health Promotion Centre (HPC) and Clarity Brunei.
Last month, UNN’s third Safety Day included activities, talks, and exhibitions. HPC showcased the online courses on mental health and physical activity at work, providing basic health assessments for participating employees. Safety, Health and Environment National Authority (SHENA), Megamas Sdn Bhd and KSMT Sdn Bhd also participated in the safety day. – James Kon
