Why Workplace Well-Being Matters: Insights from EPAM Hungary

Why Workplace Well-Being Matters: Insights from EPAM Hungary

It is easy to put your health on hold when you are focused on solving work challenges. When you have heavy screen time, daily meetings and tight deadlines, prioritizing your physical and mental well-being sometimes drops to the bottom of the priority list.

At EPAM Hungary, we view well-being as a continuous, multi-dimensional commitment — not just a one-off corporate checkbox. While our annual Well-Being Month shines a spotlight on healthy habits, our holistic approach supports our teams year-round across mental health, physical health, emotional balance and social connection. 

Moving Beyond the Well-Being Checkbox

For a well-being program to truly succeed, it must provide tangible, everyday value. Dóra Czencz, Manager, People Partner at EPAM, emphasizes the importance of providing practical tools that address all aspects of personal health. “We aim to bring well-being into the daily lives of our employees in all its complexity,” Dóra shares. “In practice, this means our programs don’t just offer immediate recharge moments. They give participants real tools for stress management, deepening self-awareness, drawing healthy boundaries or conscious recovery.”

Tünde Ambruzs, Associate Manager, People Partner, is also part of the well-being program team and agrees that while standard activities like health screenings are a great baseline, creating meaningful experiences makes the real difference. Over the years, EPAM Hungary has expanded its offerings to include a wide range of experiences from coffee tastings and sound bowl therapy to community gardening and charity dog walks. These shared activities give colleagues a chance to recharge together.

Adding Energy to the Day

People often think that stepping away for a well-being activity steals time from actual work. In reality, it does the exact opposite.

For Péter Józsa, a Senior Project Manager at EPAM, getting involved happened gradually. He started out on the sidelines, but his participation quickly grew. This year, he not only participated in the team step challenge, but he also entered the ping-pong championship just for fun and co-hosted a warm-up session for beginner runners.

Where did his drive to stay active come from? It goes back to an interview he read 20 years ago about a scientist mapping the human genome. When asked how he survived the intense pressure and endless hours, the researcher pointed to his daily 10-kilometer run.

“It stuck with me,” Péter says. “How is it that regular physical activity doesn't drain your energy reserves, but rather adds to them? And it really is true. Anyone who participates in such initiatives can confirm this.”

Taking care of yourself does not drain your battery. It recharges it and helps you and your team work better.

Catching the Invisible Stress

Sometimes, we don't realize we need support until we measure it. Mikhail Sitnichenko, a Delivery Manager at EPAM, considered himself physically active and generally healthy. However, during a heart stress test offered as part of EPAM’s annual Well-Being Month, he discovered a hidden issue.

“Based on the results, I started adapting my daily routine. After a while, I felt the positive changes,” shares Mikhail. For him, the experience proved that the company's initiatives offer true support. When people take advantage of these resources, it leads to lifestyle changes that improve health in the long run.

The Power of Community Connection

Even for those who already lead highly active lifestyles, workplace well-being programs offer an extra benefit: social connection. 

Gábor Korcsmáros, a Software Engineer at EPAM, had a strict fitness routine and was initially hesitant to squeeze more activities into his schedule. However, the community aspect of EPAM’s well-being initiatives won him over.

“Community activities are a very important part of this period,” Gábor says. “In the step-counting challenge, for example, there was great motivation and a large turnout, which created a really pleasant atmosphere on our communication channels.”

These shared moments remind us that while we are professionals delivering high-quality engineering solutions, we are also humans who need connection, movement and balance.

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