It's hard to resist disappointment when there's no news of a much-deserved appraisal. And to top it, the horrors of a meltdown! "As a result activities to boost the morale of employees become mandatory," Ranjit Puri of Tech Mohindra talks about a pep up of in-house activities like drama and dance competitions that have now become a regular feature at the company. "A bit of entertainment and team work helps reduce stress by at least 30 per cent and increases work efficiency," he says.

At Bharti Airtel it's self-management workshops, aerobics sessions, yoga classes and stress management sessions that have the employees on a high. "Our aim is make the employees feel valued and so, we facilitate and initiate activities that help them manage their health and well-being," tells Sanjay Bahl, COO (Mobility), Bharti Airtel, Punjab, Haryana and HP Circles, adding that Airtel has tied up with leading health service organizations for periodical health check-ups of employees. While at Airtel they make the most of festivals like Lohri, Diwali, Baisakhi, Karvachauth, birthdays and anniversaries of employees, the joy@workplace concept is now a favourite with everyone. "Movie shows, treasure hunt, theme dressing, ongoing sports competitions and corporate discounts at eating joints and music stores assure a refreshing time every few day," adds Bahl.

Blue Lotus Communications have gone a step further by assuring a bonanza on Friday. "It's a new venture called 'Freaky Friday'. On this day we organise fun activities like community lunches and colour-coordinated attires. It helps in bringing together people from different departments, and at times centres, and further builds up on team work," Kiran Joshi tells us.