According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workforce 2023 Report, the percentage of employees thriving at work reached a record high worldwide, reflecting a positive trend that is similar to pre-pandemic levels of economic growth. The mentioned trend is also noticeable in the Philippines, where Unilab emerged as a notable company for employee welfare. However, not many people are aware that for several decades now, it has quietly earned recognition for being an outstanding and caring employer.
Unilab, the country’s leading pharmaceutical company, centers its business on caring for people’s health, including its own. Recognizing the importance of fostering a supportive work environment that promotes the culture of husay at malasakit from within, Unilab dedicates efforts to creating a culture that empowers employees to thrive and make meaningful contributions at work. This commitment is evident in how the company shapes its culture, policies, benefits, and even its facilities.
Making the Workplace a Sanctuary for Health and Wellness
The Unilab Corporate Center (ULCC), reconstructed in 2015, is lauded as one of the nation’s premier workplaces. Designed to be modern, functional, and eco-friendly, it offers ample green spaces rare in urban settings.
The ULCC is certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED), and follows the framework for health, sustainability, and efficiency. The campus even has a system that collects, filters, and reuses rainwater.
Its focal point is the vast open space and garden at the heart of the compound, which serves as an area for major events. On quiet days, the area allows employees and guests alike to breathe freely and reconnect with the environment.
Employees are well taken care of with access to a cafeteria that boasts an in-house chef preparing delicious and healthy meals. With the company’s subsidies, eating well is an affordable and accessible option. Throughout the day, employees can recharge and refuel with a variety of food options available, allowing them to perform at their best.
Unilab provides its employees ample opportunities to prioritize their physical health while working at the headquarters. The facility houses a fully-equipped gym with access to professional trainers and free exercise classes such as spinning, yoga, and Zumba. Additionally, there is an outdoor area available for engaging in physical activities.
The company has gone the extra mile to ensure that for its field personnel who spend their time on the go, utmost comfort and convenience are waiting for them at the main headquarters. It has designed special lounges that are tailored to meet the needs of its employees, equipped with carefully selected furniture, individual pods for privacy, pocket meeting rooms for group discussions, and even massage chairs and stationary exercise bicycles for relaxation and physical wellness. With these amenities, Unilab’s remote workers can be assured of a conducive and productive work environment.
“I hope our office becomes an archetype of what Unilab truly stands for–the warmth, love, generosity, and concern–I hope all of these are manifested in every corner of our office,” said Kristine Quiambao, Talent Acquisition representative from the HR and Organizational Development team.
Unilab has been given recognition as a Great Place to Work® certified organization in its first year of eligibility, affirming its commitment to cultivating an exceptional work environment. This certification captures invaluable feedback from Unilab employees themselves, which stands as a testament to their positive employee experience.
Instilling a Learning Culture
Unilab places great emphasis on fostering the professional development of its employees, understanding that it is a vital component to achieving the company’s long-term success. The company empowers a culture of growth and learning among its workforce through various methods such as developmental assignments, experiential learning, effective training programs, and mentorship opportunities. These avenues enable everyone to adapt and excel in a constantly evolving business landscape.
Unilab has made other learning resources available, including multimedia collections of relevant business, leadership, and technical programs. These resources allow for learning on-the-go and help enhance the skill sets of its workforce across different teams and ages.
Unilab invests in providing offerings from their “Unilab University,” which cover a variety of curriculums and curated courses catered to the learning needs of their employees. Indeed, Unilab promotes and cultivates lifelong learning at its core. Maybe that is one of the factors influencing an employee’s tenure with the company.
Did you know that at Unilab, it is commonplace to celebrate employees retiring with 30 to 40 years with the company? In 2023 alone, 47 employees retired with 30+ years of service. This is a testament to Unilab’s dedication to employee well-being.
Sunshine Aquino, Assistant Vice President for Unilab’s Consumer Health division, joined Unilab as a fresh graduate 25 years ago and has not left since. She says that among her main reasons for staying are the many growth opportunities that Unilab has given her. As she was exposed to big responsibilities and important marketing roles, she felt that the organization was setting her up to succeed.
“During my first three to four years, they sent me to the Asian Institute of Management to study a short course within my leadership stint already. They also choose several people to take offshore Harvard courses. It’s not all about promotions but all about exposure that motivates you,” she said.
Anna Carmela Sulit, Human Resources and Organizational Development Division Analyst at Unilab, also echoes this observation.
“We do one-on-one sessions where my superiors ask me which areas in the organization I want to explore. They take that into consideration and they are also transparent about their plans for me which I really appreciate because it makes me feel that my growth matters to them,” she said.
Alagang Unilab: Care Extending to Families
Unilab’s business focuses on enriching the health of communities where individuals can thrive and fulfill their missions in life, and this rings true especially among its workforce and their families.
Larry Salazar, retired Division Vice President and General Manager of Unilab’s United American Pharmaceuticals division, was with the company for 38 years. He experienced Alagang Unilab when the company also took care of his own family: fully covering expenses over the years, from his children’s birth to hospitalizations, and health treatments. He says, “Alagang Unilab is about compassion and genuine concern for the employees… for me, that is the most important morale booster.”
Bobby Fresnido, Jr., Director for Engineering Services of Manufacturing, meanwhile, says his daughter was hospitalized for a week in 2011–on his first day at work in Unilab. To his surprise, the company shouldered all his daughter’s hospitalization expenses. For someone new, he immediately felt the company’s care. “This is why employees give back to the company wholeheartedly by striving for excellence in their work,” he said.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Unilab even expanded its health and hospitalization benefits, taking into account the risks the employees and their families faced.
Unilab also supports the holistic well-being of its employees’ families, partnering with external organizations to provide different workshops to dependents every summer from photography to arts, and sports.
A company’s success is intricately linked to the well-being of its employees, and Unilab is a testament to what it promises customers: alaga. This culture of care is evident in other companies composing the larger Unilab Group such as RiteMED Phils., Inc. and UL Skin Sciences, Inc.
By prioritizing the different areas that help employees thrive and achieve personal growth, the Unilab Group not only attracts top talent but also retains and nurtures a workforce that is genuinely invested in its success.
In today’s era where employees seek more than just a job, Unilab proves to be a company that truly takes care of its most valuable asset—its people. Indeed, “Alagang Unilab ‘yan!”
