8Mental health support for staff
UPES faculty, staff and their families get free, confidential mental health support around the clock.
- Year-round well-being programmes at work
- Free 24×7 counselling for staff and their families
Impact
Staff and their families have round-the-clock support, and an externally recognised workplace culture that keeps people well.
- Every new employee learns about the Employee Assistance Programme, wellness initiatives and health insurance on joining.
- Staff and their immediate families can reach a counsellor at any hour, free and in confidence.
- Eight men's and eight women's teams, plus four other sports, brought academic and non-academic staff together for health and team spirit.
- Faculty practise guided Heartfulness meditation every week to manage stress and stay focused: 40 sessions and about 200 participations from January to 16 October 2026.
- Main Hoon Na. The UPES Employee Assistance Program, whose name means "I am here for you", offers a 24-hour confidential counselling helpline through the True Wellness app, free for employees and their immediate families.
- We Care and Sanjeevani. Staff can also use the 24×7 We Care helpline and free online consultations through Practo, and receive complimentary health screenings with Max Healthcare.
- Told about support from day one. Every new employee's HR induction covers the Employee Assistance Programme, wellness initiatives and health insurance, and how to reach them; more than 500 employees were inducted in 2024 and 2025.
- Well-being at work. Wellness challenges, fitness programmes and Manthan town-hall discussions encourage healthy habits and open conversation.
- Challengers Cup. From 3 to 9 December 2025, faculty and staff from academic and non-academic teams competed in cricket, badminton, table tennis, volleyball and chess, with eight men's and eight women's cricket teams, to promote health, team spirit and work-life balance.
Meditation at work
Since September 2024, faculty and staff have joined a weekly Heartfulness meditation session every Wednesday from 12 noon to 1 pm in the Library Conference Room, alongside students. From January to 16 October 2026, 40 sessions were held, with five to six faculty members at each on average, about 200 participations in all. The programme helps staff manage stress and stay focused, prepares faculty to bring mindfulness into teaching and mentoring, and supports joint research across schools on how meditation affects well-being. About 150 students, faculty and staff registered for the three-day Heartfulness workshop that started it in March 2024.
A recognised workplace
UPES's care for its people is recognised externally. In 2025, Great Place to Work ranked UPES 4th among India's Great Mid-size Workplaces and named it one of India's Best Workplaces Building a Culture of Innovation by All. It was certified a Great Place to Work for February 2024 to February 2025 and ranked 10th among the Best Workplaces in Asia 2024 in the large organisations category.
Source: UPES Annual Report 2024–25[4]
Support services for staff
| Service | What it offers | Who can use it | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Hoon Na (Employee Assistance Programme) | Confidential counselling through the True Wellness app | Employees and immediate family | 24×7 |
| We Care helpline | Counselling and support helpline | Employees | 24×7 |
| Sanjeevani | Free online doctor consultations through Practo | Employees | Any time |
| Health screenings | Complimentary check-ups with Max Healthcare | Employees | — |
| HR induction | Briefing on the assistance programme, wellness and insurance | Every new employee | On joining |
| Challengers Cup and wellness challenges | Sport and fitness for work-life balance | All faculty and staff | Annually, and through the year |
Links and sources
- UPES mental health support services (PDF)https://upeswebsitecdn-prod-hphqfhc0b8h2ffhf.a02.azurefd.net/drupal-data/2025-12/3.3.5.pdf
- UPES Health Facilities Report (PDF): medical insurance for staffhttps://upeswebsitecdn-prod-hphqfhc0b8h2ffhf.a02.azurefd.net/drupal-data/2026-09/UPES_Health_Facilities_Report.pdf
- UPES health and medical serviceshttps://admission.upes.ac.in/portal/feel-home/health-and-medical-services
- UPES Annual Report 2024–25https://upeswebsitecdn-prod-hphqfhc0b8h2ffhf.a02.azurefd.net/drupal-data/2026-02/Annual%20Report-2024-25.pdf