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STAFF WELLNESS INTERVENTION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE. April 2007. Lourens Geyer Annette Prins. STAFF WELLNESS. Employees form an essential core in organisational success and frequently provide the competitive edge.
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STAFF WELLNESS INTERVENTIONAT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE April 2007 Lourens Geyer Annette Prins
STAFF WELLNESS • Employees form an essential core in organisational success and frequently provide the competitive edge. • Leaders are tasked to manage and motivate their workforce in pursuit of organisational goals and in the best interest of all. • The changing world of work includes, inter alia: • an increasingly diverse workforce with • needs, aspirations, and attitudes different from those of their managers • This necessitates creativity and ingenuity from leaders.
PRESSURE FOR WELLNESS • Is increasing worldwide at corporate level • Also in South Africa • I.t.o. taking care of employee wellbeing • Result from legal pressures • Basic Conditions of Employment Act • Occupational Health and safety Act, etc (Kotton, 2006). • Modern man is much more alert to his/her rights • More intent on leading a balanced life • Increasingly seeking for more balance between work, leisure and family life. • Work satisfaction and well-being has become an important issue in a competitive market within organisations. • Organisations are therefore increasingly coming under scrutiny in terms of how well they cater for their employees.
WELLNESS INFLUENTIAL FACTORS • Global Factors • Globalisation • Information Age • Power Relations • South African Context • Transformation • HIV / AIDS • Rate of Change • Work Stress • Money • Crime and Violence • Poverty
UFS Context Transformation Regional engagement Performance Management WELLNESS INFLUENTIAL FACTORS • Higher Education Context • Massification • Time pressure • Achievement pressures • Professional standards • Technology • Work load • External accountability • Quality Assurance
CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS • Research Based • Theoretically Sound • Top Management Support • Credibility • Sound Ethical Principles • Advocacy / Marketing • Equity – Equal Access • Quality Control
RESEARCH • Faculty of Humanities end 2004 • UFS main and other campuses end 2005 • Respondents – moderate to high levels of burnout • Physical stress symptoms (headaches, insomnia, chronic fatigue, concentration problems, indigestion) • Emotional stress symptoms such as anxiety, anger outbursts etc ACADEME • Significantly higher levels of emotional fatigue and cynicism than support staff • Junior lecturers and associate professors reported higher levels of stress symptoms than the other lecturing staff • 32% of respondents reported treatment for chronic stress-related conditions
RESEARCHWork related stressors • Task Properties • Devolution of admin • Lack of resources • Opportunity for growth and development • Management matters • Perceived indifference • Little recognition • Transformation adding to uneven playing fields • HR Matters • Salaries = working hours • Consistent implementation of policy matters • Recognition of staff contributions • Overloading of staff • Overload correlates positively with emotional fatigue and cynicism • Unrealistically tight deadlines • Encroachment on family time and relations
Discovery Health 2006EMPLOYEES REGISTERED ON CHRONIC ILLNESS BENEFIT 240% 204% 200% 171% 142% 160% 110% 120% Health Registrations relative to Discovery 80% 40% 0% 18 - 30 31 - 40 41 - 50 51 -64 Age band (years)
Theoretical underpinning :A schematic representation of the hierarchical ordered living system 3 2 1 Supra-national systems Communities Organisations Groups Organism Organ Cell (Wessels 1991)
Theoretical underpinning :The Cybernetic CyclePROBLEM SOLVING MODEL Situation analysis Goals Evaluation Strategies (Wessels 1991)
A schematic presentation of a practice model for psycho-intervention 4 • A COMPLEX SYSTEMS • Individual • Groups • Organisations • Community 3 2 • B GOALS • Preventative • Remedial • Developmental 3 1 2 1 1 2 3 C METHODS 1. Direct management/ Education 2. Consultation-education 3. Psych-technology (Wessels 1991)
Theoretical underpinning :THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL/SPIRITUAL MODELIN SEARCH OF A BALANCED LIFESTYLE Psychological Social Biomedical Spiritual FOUR HUMAN DIMENSIONS (Winiarsky 1997)
AIM OF PROGRAMMETO EMPOWER BOTH ORGANISATION AND STAFF IN RELATION TO WELL-BEING AT ORGANISATIONAL LEVEL • To create an organisational climate in support of a competent, motivated and enabled workforce (to achieve the University’s Vision and Strategic Priorities) • To enhance staff morale • To increase productivity and creativity • To reduce absence, sick leave • To reduce medical claims
AIM OF PROGRAMME AT FACULTY, DEPARTMENTAL AND INDIVIDUAL LEVEL • To accentuate individual strengths, competence, pro-activity and general wellbeing • To enhance the quality of work life • To enhance the personal life of employees • To stimulate individual awareness and responsibility for own health and wellbeing • To actively promote health versus “healing the ill” PARADIGM SHIFT (MEDICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL) FROM CURING THE ILL TO PREVENTION AND DEVELOPMENT (CAPITALISE ON HUMAN STRENGTHS)
ESTABLISHMENT OF UFS STAFF WELLNESS PROGRAMME EVOLUTIONARY PHASE 1 • A Campus wellness programme • A Campus wellness office with a referral function PHASE 2 • Organisational Interventions • Faculty and Departmental Interventions
BENEFITS TO COST RATIO AND GOALS Time Benefits Long Term Intermediate Term Cost Short Term (Gerstein & Sturnmer, 1993:180)
PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT • Wellness Committee • Management of Wellness Programme • Wellness Forum • Individuals that represent the different faculties /departments/ divisions • Tasks • Assist with advocacy of programme • Determine staff needs • Support staff members in need • Refer to wellness office • Wellness Referral Office • Manage referrals • Crisis intervention
DEVELOPMENTALOrganisational Level • Research report (basis) • Set of proposals to address identified • problems on various levels • Top Management • Middle Management • General Staff • Proposals incorporated in UFS Strategic Plan • Top Management – Take cognisance of and • supports Wellness Programme and initiative
DEVELOPMENTALFaculty, Departemental and Individual level • Stress Management • Neethling Brain Profile • MBTI • Emotional Intelligence • Team Building Programmes • Motivational Programmes
Special Groups • Top Management • Service workers • Pensioners • Qwaqwa Campus
Thank you for your attention On behalf of the Wellness Committee