WeWork announces 10-day ‘Diwali vacation’ for employees for mental health

Office space provider WeWork has announced an extended break for its India employees amid the festive season. Employees are being encouraged to switch off and celebrate with their loved ones during this 10-day break. The company has said that it is prioritising mental health and well-being of its employees. WeWork said that it is prioritising flexibility, work-life integration and spreading celebratory cheer. The company said that it is aiming to offer employees an opportunity to break away from the busy routine and rejuvenate themselves by spending quality time with their loved ones during the festive season. 

The company said that it had first initiated this programme in 2021 as part of their employee-first practices. Priti Shetty, Chief People and Culture Officer at WeWork said, “So far, 2022 has been an eventful year for us, as our business has grown to be stronger and has surpassed all internal benchmarks set for employees and member experience. Our success as a brand is a direct result of the hard work put in by our colleagues. The 10-day break is a gesture of gratitude towards the entrepreneurial spirit of every WeWork employee. Allocating time to reset and re-energise oneselves is critical and hence we decided to make the 10 day Diwali vacation an annual ritual.”

Apart from this extended break, WeWork India has initiatives such as wellness leave, employee assistance programs providing access to professional counseling, impact leave for community service, workations, inclusive medical insurance policies, a purpose driven employee resource group culture to promote diversity, and a further education program among others. Before this, online shopping site Meesho announced an 11-day "reset and recharge" break for its employees – from October 22 to November 1.