Bank launches its remote wellbeing program through a series of community and employee initiatives

Kuwait, 28 July 2020: In response to the unprecedented circumstances resulting from the current ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Gulf Bank has launched The Employee Wellbeing Program to assist its employees cope with the drastic changes and its effects on their emotional and mental wellbeing. The program, which offers employees access to professional counselling through a series of focused workshop sessions, is designed to target specific challenges facing the bank’s workforce, particularly the customer facing employees. In partnership with Dr Amar Behbehani, who holds a PhD in Creative Psychology and Design Educations, the sessions offer up to 40 hours of group counselling where employees discuss the state of their psychological wellbeing and are offered the tools and advice to cope with any emotional or mental challenges they face.

The initiative was at first launched as public webinars targeting employees in the banking sector during Kuwait’s full lockdown to monitor the psychological effects this period had on employees and to provide the guidance and advice on coping mechanism. Using a multitude of interactive tools and polls, attendees discussed issues related to personal, social and career wellbeing in light of the psychological challenges employees have been adapting to during the past few months on both a personal and career level.

The current ongoing workshop sessions, exclusive only to Gulf Bank employees, offers a more focused approached towards raising awareness on various topics such as mental health, human relations, creative problem solving and motivation. Dr Amar leads these workshops with particular attention to front line and customer facing employees who constitute the majority of attendees.

On the importance of this program, Gulf Bank's General Manager of Human Resources, Salma Al-Hajjaj has stated: “We are committed to looking after our employees’ well-being, even as we continue to serve our customer, which is why we believe this initiative will be of great benefit to them. We designed this program to addresses specific challenges and provides employees with the tools they need to adapt. Being fully aware of the mental and emotional implications this pandemic has had on the masses, we believe it is an essential recovery program”.

Gulf Bank is currently welcoming customers at a select number of branches throughout the country, and is keen on applying all the necessary precautionary measures to ensure the regular sterilization of its locations. These measures include taking customers’ temperatures at the entrance, maintaining physical distance, and ensuring both customers and staff are wearing gloves and masks at all times. Gulf Bank is committed to applying the best preventive health measure to ensure the safety of both its clients and staff.