Use of wellness programs at a university in South Africa.

Abstract

Abstract Over the past decade Universities in South Africa have moved from a purely academic environment to provide a sustainable and healthy working environment taking into account work life balance and the well-being of their core assets, their employees. In recent years, workplace wellness has become a new focus area for improvement to enable higher performance, increased productivity and it also provides organisations with a competitive advantage. Wellness programs are being used to drive human resources strategies and employee engagement. The aim of this study is to investigate the Use of Wellness Programs at a University in South Africa and its impact thereof. The University that was chosen for this study was the Durban University of Technology. A quantitative research approach was used to provide the different perspectives and impact from respondents on the subject matter. Data was collected using a web based questionnaire. The population size was one thousand three hundred and forty four employees. Simple random sampling design was used. The sample of two hundred and sixty was drawn. The sample composed of all three categories of employees, i.e.: management, academic and administrative and support sector employees, with different genders and spanning across all the university’s campus locations. The survey was sent electronically to the selected sample of employees. Statistical analysis revealed that whilst there was awareness and utilisation of the programs offered by the university, it was limited and therefore more could be done to increase awareness and utilisation. The study revealed that incentives were seen as a motivating factor. The findings aligned to majority of the literature as per findings from previous scholars. It is recommended that the university reviews the alignment of the current workplace programs and aligns to the needs as seen from the results of this study. It is further recommended that the university has in place monitoring and assessment tools for the impact of the workplace wellness programs. This study can benefit the Durban University of Technology and other South African Universities in understanding of the impact of the current program and offerings and the alignment to vision, mission and strategies; whilst taking into account the drivers for increasing staff morale, employee performance and productivity which will also aid in reducing stress and absenteeism levels. Thereby, improving workplace wellness at the university. The study can benefit the university.