The result also showed that 48.3% of the respondents rated the program as good, while 25% rated it as fair. Furthermore, the results revealed that 48.3% of the respondents attended activities offered by the program, while 45% did not.
Introduction
The study would benefit the employees of the Ministry of Health in the sense that it has come up with suggestions and recommendations of strategies that the Ministry can implement to improve or make the program more effective as well as to eliminate the challenges that the program currently faces. Current strategies will also be evaluated and solutions will be implemented for the challenges the program is facing.
Focus of the Study
Not much has been done to look at the perceptions of employees about the Employee Wellness Program at the Ministry of Health, its utilization and level of knowledge and awareness of the existence of such a program and operation of the program. This study will be conducted to help the Ministry of Health understand the reasons why employees either use or do not use the services offered within the Employee Wellness Program to provide guidelines to make the program effective and to make the program more to make it cost effective.
Problem Statement
The survey answered the following questions: .. i) Are employees well informed and aware of the Employee Wellness Program? What is the role of incentives in the context of the wellness program? .. v) What could make the program effective and more cost effective.
Objectives
Significance of the Study
This study will benefit the employee because it will uncover the ambiguities and address the concerns that employees have about the program, and this would result in a tailored program that would address the key issues and needs of employees within the Employee Wellness Program. The Ministry of Health would benefit from it because it would result in the consumption of less time and money through a program that would ensure higher employee utilization and increased labor productivity, thus leading to improved and better service delivery.
Chapter Outlines
Summary
Introduction
Healthy employees have reduced absenteeism, disability and labor wages, making them more productive at work. Furthermore, organizations with a wellness program have higher morale and loyalty rates among their employees because the wellness programs make employees feel like their employer cares about them as individuals (Harden, Peersman, Oliver, Thomas & Oakley, 2012).
An Overview of Employee Wellness Programmes (EWPs)
Studies have revealed that poorly managed conditions such as depression, hypertension, asthma and low back pain have high rates of presence. However, the operation of the intervention wellness programs in the workstation has created many challenges (Hochart and Lang, 2011).
Chronic Diseases as a Public Health Issue
Employee Wellness Programme in Swaziland
- The Ministry of Health Wellness Policy
- Programme Goals and Metrics - In order for the wellness programme to be successful, an organization should clearly articulate what it is they want to achieve or
- Strong Communication Strategy - It is very important to clearly communicate the programme’s aspects in an open method and through quite a few channels
- Wellness Committees and Champions - In order for the EWP to be a success, it is vital to have a committee whose members have interest in the goals
- Programme Incentives - The incentives may be very different and consists of anything from small prizes to important health premium differences for meeting
- Ready Access to Programme - It is crucial for employees to readily access the programme in a place that is convenient for them. Examples of elements that
- Medical Self-Care and Consumerism - Emphasising on the responsibility of an individual for health is a significant message that can be created in the employee
The CEO of the company or organization must actively advocate and participate in the program. It is essential that all levels of management demonstrate the importance of the program by participating and participating in the program.
Dimensions of Employee Wellness
- Social Wellness – This dimension deals with how an individual contributes to their community and environment and how they make better spaces of living and
- Occupational Wellness – This dimension deals with occupational development which is connected to the attitude of an individual about their work and
- Spiritual Wellness –This dimension deals with the searching for purpose and meaning in human existence. People who are spiritually well have a clearly
- Intellectual Wellness – This deals with an individual’s creative and stimulating mental activities and enlarges knowledge and skills whist sharing their gift with
- Emotional Wellness - This dimension deals with the ability to control an individual’s feelings and connected behaviours such as the realistic assessment of a
- Environmental Wellness - This dimension deals with the ability to promote health methods which improve the quality of life and standard of living in the
- Physical Wellness – This dimension deals with a combination of good exercise and eating habits and being cautious for self-care and getting proper health
- Growing Interest in Wellness Programmes among Employers
- The Importance of Employee Wellness Programmes
This has also resulted in the creation of programs such as Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and EWPs to focus on issues of global well-being. If organizations use incorrect procedures to evaluate their effectiveness, this can lead to incorrect conclusions being drawn from the evaluations (Nyman et al., 2010).
The Impact of Employee Wellness Programmes
The effectiveness of the EWP is dependent on the characteristics of the target population and the percentage of the population participating in the intervention. It can also increase job security due to employee productivity, increased attendance and possible avoidance of short or long-term disability.
The Role of Incentives
Types of Incentives
Wellness Dollars - a company can provide wellness dollars that employees can use for fitness-related items such as workouts, workout clothes, or gift certificates to health-related stores. A company may also provide tangible rewards to winners, participants may receive intangible rewards such as recognition.
Return on Investment
Employees can receive many indirect benefits if they dedicate their time and effort to the program. NationalBusinessGrouponHealth (2010) points out that when employees do not fully understand the goals and purpose of a wellness program, they are unlikely to participate.
Introduction
Aim and Objectives of the Study
Research Approach
In this case, the population is separated into mutually exclusive groups that are appropriate, relevant and meaningful in the study context. This method was used because it enabled the researcher to generalize the findings and ensured that all relevant components in the group were taken into account as they are appropriate and important for the context of the study.
Location of the Study
The probability method used to conduct the study is the simple random sample. This was used because all employees in the selected subgroup had an equal chance of being selected.
Population and Sample
According to Dura and Nita (2011), a sample size can be defined as a representation of the components from which the data and information will be collected. When determining the sample size for quantitative research, the researcher must consider the highest level of acceptable error that can be made for the outcomes, the level of confidence and the distribution of the characteristics analyzed in the collection phase (Dura and Nita, 2011).
Construction of the Instrument
Most of the questions were close-ended with limited answer options and a few questions with a wide range of options. Objective 1: To determine employee knowledge and awareness of the Employee Wellness Program was linked to questions and 12.
Recruitment of Study Participants
Objective Five: To determine the role of incentives during the wellness program was linked to questions 32 and 33. The targeted employees were given paper copies of the questionnaire during a meeting and face-to-face on other occasions.
Data Collection Strategies
A total of 60 respondents were randomly selected in their individual capacity, who were approached and administered a quantitative questionnaire.
Pretesting and Validation
The purpose of using the questionnaire was to have the respondents reveal essential motivators and motivators regarding their knowledge, awareness and perceptions about the Employee Wellness Program.
Administration of the Questionnaire
Ethical Considerations
Confidentiality and anonymity were ensured, and participants were protected by preventing the linking of data to participants.
Analysis of the Data
Summary
Introduction
Profile of Respondents .1 Age of Respondents
Number of Years in the Ministry
Employee Knowledge and Awareness of the Employee Wellness Programme
Knowledge about Existence of the Programme
Adequacy of Information about the Programme
Satisfaction with Programme Communication
Methods of Communication
Frequency of Receiving Information about the Programme
Importance of Attending Seminars, Forums and Access Information about EWP
Accessing Help and Information Vital to the EWP
Workplace as a Valuable Source of Information on Employee Health
Attendance on Wellness Activities Offered by the Ministry
Communication about Wellness Initiatives and Interventions
Advantage in Knowing One’s Health
Knowledge about Availability of Wellness Clinic
Clinical Screening Tests Offered by Wellness Clinic
Lifestyle Management Activities Offered by EWP
Areas of Key Concern within the Programme to Employees
Non-attendance due to stigma
Employees Discriminating against Those Living with Health Ailments Table 4.12 indicates that more than half of the respondents (56.7%) said no about
Barriers to Participating in Wellness Activities
Utilization of Services to Improve Employee Health and Increase Productivity
The Role of Incentives under the Wellness Programme .1 Use of Incentives to Increase Employee Engagement
Motivators to Employee Participation in the EWP
Guidelines to make the Programme Effective and more Cost Effective .1 EWP Enhancing Employees Reach Wellness Goals
Awareness of Support from Management for the Programme
Supervisors’ Willingness to Participate in the Programme
This means that there is no statistically significant relationship between gender and knowledge about the program, that is, both men and women are equally aware or know about the program.
Association between Knowledge and Attitudes about the Programme
Association between Knowledge and Utilization of the Programme
This means that there is no statistically significant correlation between knowledge and utilization of the education.
Association between Attitudes and Utilization of the Programme
Association between Knowledge, Attitudes and Utilization of the Programme
Association between Age, Knowledge and Utilization of the Programme
The results show that a majority of the respondents know or are aware of the Employee Wellness Program. The study also shows that slightly more than half of the respondents attended the wellness activities.
Introduction
Demographic Information
Objective 1: Knowledge and Awareness of the Employee Wellness Programme
Objective 2: Perceptions about the Programme
The survey findings show that approximately half of respondents strongly agree (56.1%) on the importance of attending wellness activities. The findings are also consistent with the literature from other research, as it was found that approximately half of respondents rated the program as good, meaning they are satisfied with the services the program provides.
Objective 3: Utilization of the Programme
Therefore, it is crucial for an organization to focus on employee health because it can have a positive impact on the well-being of the organization (Osilla et al., 2012). all employees in these facilities are expected to know about the clinic as it currently exists and has been established for them to use. The utilization of the program according to Sackney et al. 2012) can be determined by the reasons employees give for participating or not participating, as well as the type of services offered.
Objective 4: Areas of Key Concern within the Programme
Objective 5: Role of Incentives
The results show that less than half of the respondents felt that they would still participate even if the incentives were not offered. 2012) stated that the purpose of EWP is to inspire employees to become healthier, and thus many employers use incentives to encourage employees to observe and improve their health and reduce employee turnover and absenteeism.
Objective 6: Guidelines to Make the Programme Effective and More Cost- Effective
Some employees come not only because the services they need are not offered, but also because there is nothing to motivate them to participate in the program. The ministry should also benchmark with other ministries in other countries to learn from their gambling practices.
Association between Knowledge, attitudes and Utilization of the Programme
Relevant data from the previous chapter was used and explained in detail with respect to each objective of the study.
Introduction
Conclusion
Facility management should also support the program so that it can gain buy-in from the rest of the health care workforce. The strategies also suggested by respondents could make the program effective and more cost-effective, including a strong communications strategy, easy access to the program and more.
Implications of this Research
Limitation of the Study
Finally, the time given to collect data was short as the respondents were only given a month to complete the questionnaire as the research was to be submitted by December 4, 2015.
Recommendations to solve the research problem
Employees can share with each other about the benefits they have achieved with the Wellness Program. The incentives can be used to encourage employees to participate in the Wellness Program and should be offered regularly through the program.
Recommendations for Future Studies
Research is also needed to identify program features that will be more appropriate for employee needs and more likely to achieve wellness goals. In addition, there is a need to understand the demographic characteristics of employees that might encourage them to use or not use EWP.
Summary
Long-term impact of the Employee Wellness Program – The growth in the number of chronic diseases among employees may require a much longer follow-up period to monitor the effectiveness of the program on health outcomes and costs. This may include characteristics such as management support and workplace culture that may alter the effect of EWP.
Employee Knowledge, Awareness and Perceptions about the Employee Wellness Programme in the Ministry of
Health, Swaziland
- How many years have you been employed in the ministry?
- I am knowledgeable/aware of the existence of Employee Wellness Program
- Is the information about the Wellness Program at work adequate?
- Are you satisfied with how information relating to the Employee Wellness Program is communicated to you? (If Yes, skip to Question 10)
- If No, please state reason(s) for this dissatisfaction
- How is information about the Wellness communicated?
- How would you prefer Wellness information to be communicated to you?
- How often do you receive information pertaining to Employee Wellness Program?
- If you disagree please state the reason(s) for non-attendance
- Are you well informed about the Wellness initiatives and interventions that your Ministry has embarked on?
- It is important to attend seminars, forums and access internet information pertaining to Employee Wellness Program
- How would you rate the Ministry’s Wellness Program?
- It is easy to access help and information vital to the Employee Wellness Program
- Do you think the workplace is a valuable source of information on employee health?
- The program has enhanced my knowledge on employee health/wellbeing
- There is an advantage in knowing one’s health status
- Does stigma prevents employees from seeking counseling, testing and treatment in the wellness clinic?
- Do you think in the ministry of health people with certain health problems/conditions can lose their jobs?
- Are there any barriers that prevent you from participating in wellness activities? (Tick all that apply.)
- Do you think the use of services provided by the Wellness Program can help improve employee health and increase worker productivity?
- Can the services provided within the Wellness Program be regarded as of good quality?
- If you No, please state your opinion/s
- What types of clinical screening tests are offered by the Wellness Program in your facility (Tick all that apply)
- What types of lifestyle management activities are offered by the Wellness in your facility? (Tick all that apply)
- Do you think the Ministry should use incentives to increase employee engagement in Wellness activities?
- What would motivate you to participate in the Wellness Program?
- Does your facility management support the Wellness Program?
- Do you think your supervisors are willing to participate in the wellness program and encourage others to participate?
- Do you have any further comments?
What types of clinical screening tests are offered by the Wellness Program at your institution (Check all that apply) (Check all that apply). Do you think your supervisors are willing to participate in the wellness program and encourage others to participate?
