Perceptions of employees regarding the Integrated Wellness Programme at Thulamela Local Municipality

Abstract

The goal of the study was to explore and describe the perceptions of employees regarding the implementation of the integrated Employee Wellness Programme (EWP) model at Thulamela Local Municipality. TLM have implemented an integrated EWP internally with a professional employed by the municipality since 2012. After six years in operation, the perceptions of employees towards the programme and EWP utilisation had not yet been assessed. The study therefore has the potential to draw conclusions and make recommendations that can be implemented to minimise the weaknesses of an internally-implemented programme, while maximising its strengths. The research undertakes to provide an answer to the question: “What are the perceptions of employees regarding the implementation of the integrated EWP at TLM?” As the researcher intended to explore and describe the perceptions of employees regarding the integrated EWP at TLM, it was appropriate to follow a quantitative approach in this applied research. The researcher explored the goal of the study by means of a questionnaire designed for data collection from the respondents. The population from which a sample was drawn consisted of 501 TLM permanent employees. A combination of stratified random sampling and a systematic sampling technique was utilised to select the sample. A total of 101 respondents (20% of the entire population) were sampled by selecting every third case from the list per stratum. The sample thus consisted of senior management (2), members of the middle management (10), line managers (15), support section employees (34) and general employees (40). The data collected from the respondents was electronically analysed using figures and tables. The study findings illustrate that employees have knowledge and are aware of EWP at TLM. However, the utilisation rate of some components of the EWP dimensions such as professional and confidential counselling is considerably low (6.06%), thus not tallying with the knowledge levels. A significant percentage of respondents recommended that the EWP unit be elevated to be strategically positioned and to be part of management meetings and organisational change management processes. More visibility of senior management during EWP activities, more marketing sessions of EWP services and training of supervisors were also alluded to. Finally, it is concluded that the research results answers the research question by indicating that, in general, the employees have positive perceptions towards the integrated EWP at TLM. This is demonstrated through their favour for future use of EWP and high levels of confidence in the programme. Based on the findings of the study, conclusions and recommendations have been made to ensure successful implementation of the integrated EWP in the work organisation.