Contemporary HR Management: Employee Wellness

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Questions and Answers

Why is it important to establish a culture of wellness in an organization?

It directly influences employee productivity and morale. (correct)

It minimizes the need for employee training.

It diminishes the role of HRM in employee affairs.

It allows for more stringent management controls.

What type of leadership is associated with high levels of employee wellness?

Transactional leadership

Laissez-faire leadership

Transformational leadership (correct)

Autocratic leadership

Which of the following is NOT considered a personal health resource in the workplace?

Flexibility

Health services

Strict disciplinary policies (correct)

Supportive environment

How can HRM include wellness in management evaluations?

By implementing a 360-degree performance evaluation. Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant effect of leader stress on employees?

Decreased levels of employee engagement Signup and view all the answers

What should HRM do to promote employee wellness effectively?

Communicate the wellness strategy to management. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following activities relates to corporate social responsibility within an organization?

Community involvement projects Signup and view all the answers

What might hinder the joint responsibility of employee wellness?

Lack of necessary resources Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the top wellness challenges in South African communities?

Human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (Aids) Signup and view all the answers

How does the shift from the industrial age to the information age affect employees?

It allows for increased job mobility. Signup and view all the answers

Which group of employees is characterized as putting in time but not energy?

Disengaged employees Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes employee burnout?

Cynicism and inefficacy Signup and view all the answers

What is primarily undermined by actively disengaged employees?

Employee engagement Signup and view all the answers

Which area is essential for fostering employee engagement according to the wellness factors?

Rewards and recognition Signup and view all the answers

What aspect is NOT a benefit of having engaged employees?

Higher rates of absenteeism Signup and view all the answers

What primary factor contributes to the erosion of employee engagement?

Burnout Signup and view all the answers

What is one potential consequence of employees lacking financial wellness?

Sleep deprivation leading to reduced productivity Signup and view all the answers

Which act is NOT included in the legislation governing employee wellness in South Africa?

National Labor Relations Act Signup and view all the answers

According to the person-environment fit theory, where does stress arise from?

From the interaction between the person and the work environment Signup and view all the answers

What is a suggested HRM initiative to help employees with financial wellness?

Providing financial literacy training Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a potential effect of poor financial wellness on employees?

Higher levels of job satisfaction Signup and view all the answers

What does work design pertain to in the context of employee wellness?

The tasks, activities, responsibilities, and authority in a job Signup and view all the answers

What can be a direct impact of the minimum wage in South Africa on employees’ financial wellness?

Struggles with debt and poor financial decisions Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect is part of the WHO Healthy Workplace Model?

Meet employees' work-related needs Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Contemporary Issues in Human Resources Management

This is a book/course on current issues in managing human resources.
The book editor is Nicole Dodd.
Various contributors contributed to different chapters.
This overview is about wellness and employee engagement (Chapter 13).

Learning Outcomes

Explain employee wellness and its organizational impact.
Discuss employee wellness's effect on engagement.
Briefly explain the WHO Healthy Workplace Model within the South African context.
Design a wellness program for South African organizations.
Discuss Covid-19's impact on employee wellness.
Discuss the role of organizations in maintaining wellness.
Give wellness advice on remote work.

Levels of Employee Wellness

Wellness is considered at various levels: Individual, Team, Organization, Industry and Society.
The different levels can be interconnected.

Overview of Wellness

SABPP (2015) defines employee wellness as a strategy ensuring a safe and healthy work environment.
This involves individual wellness, and organizational objectives.

Origins of the Concept of Wellness

Dunn's model outlines wellness levels corresponding to different environments or circumstances.
- Quadrant 1: High wellness and financial resources.
- Quadrant 2: Wellness needs met by the environment.
- Quadrant 3: Extremely poor wellness, challenging environment.
- Quadrant 4: Knowledgeable about wellness, but limited resources.

Evolution of the Concept of Wellness

Hettler (2004) introduced six dimensions of wellness: Occupational, Emotional, Spiritual, Intellectual, Physical, and Social.
Swarbrick (2006) provided a different wellness approach with dimensions including Intellectual, Emotional, Financial, Environmental, Social, Physical, Occupational and Spiritual.

Dimensions of Employee Wellness in a South African Context

Wellness in South Africa considers legislative compliance (laws covering employment, such as health and safety).
Psychological, social, and emotional aspects are important.
Physical, mental, and financial wellness is considered.

A Lack of Financial Wellness in Employees

Lack of financial wellness impacts South African employers in several ways.
Issues include loss of productivity, potential mental health issues, absenteeism/ presenteeism, and possible fraud.
Minimum wage struggles cause debt and poor financial decisions.

Legislative Compliance

South African legislation for employee wellness covers the Constitution, various employment acts, health & safety, and more.

Wellness in the Workplace According to the World Health Organization (WHO)

WHO defines a healthy job where pressures are proportionate to employee abilities and resources.
Control over work and support from colleagues are essential elements.

The Person-Environment Fit Theory

The person-environment fit theory (P-E fit) is a work-related stress theory.
Stress results from an interaction between the person and their environment.
A good person-environment fit meets employee needs.

The WHO Healthy Workplace Model

The model shows a cycle of improving, evaluating, doing, and prioritising in a workplace environment.
Ethics, leadership, community resources, and interpersonal work environments are key parts of the WHO model.

Work Design and Wellness

Work design, considering tasks, activities, responsibilities, and worker authority, supports employee wellness.
Workers need good resources and support to perform well.
Employees require challenging jobs and opportunities for growth.

Organisational Culture and Wellness

Culture is the unwritten set of rules guiding behaviour in organizations.
A culture of wellness supports employee well-being.
HRM should measure manager efforts toward wellness.
Performance scores for managers should include promoting wellness.

Leadership and Wellness

Leader stress can create workplace stress.
Positive leadership behaviours correlate with low employee stress and high wellness levels.
Transformational leadership positively impacts employee wellness.
Passive leadership negatively affects employee wellness.

Personal Health Resources in the Workplace

Workplace resources supporting personal health include supportive environments, health services, information, resources, opportunities, and flexibility.
Organizations may implement EAPs to assist employees in achieving their wellness.
HRM should have a clear wellness strategy and communicate it to management.

Enterprise Community Involvement

Community involvement in projects improves societal well-being.
Key wellness areas include HIV/AIDS, TB, trauma, gender-based violence, substance abuse.

The Workplace of the 21st Century

The modern workplace demands talent and retaining it is important.
The employer needs to understand employee well-being.
The information age makes life complex, creating stress for employees and requiring increased flexibility from them.

Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is defined as harnessing employees' roles and encouraging physical, cognitive, and emotional investment.

Employee Engagement, cont.

There are three levels of employee engagement: Engaged (enthusiastic and high performance), Disengaged (minimal effort, just sufficient), and Actively Disengaged (negative).

Engagement and Burnout

Burnout is a response to emotional and interpersonal workplace stress (exhaustion, cynicism, inefficacy).
Employee engagement is the opposite of burnout, and well-being is important to avoiding burnout.
Reasons for burnout include workload, and lack of recognition.

Engagement and the Job-Demands Resources Model

Job demands and resources (JD-R) model classifies factors causing job stress into job demands and resources.
Job demands involve physical, social, and psychological factors.
Job resources offer support and aid in reducing stress and improving employee engagement.

Designing and Establishing a Wellness Program

Creating an effective wellness program involves leadership support, research, establishing goals, and developing an action plan.

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Description

This quiz focuses on Chapter 13 of 'Contemporary Issues in Human Resources Management,' edited by Nicole Dodd. It explores employee wellness and engagement, the WHO Healthy Workplace Model in South Africa, and the implications of Covid-19 on wellness. Participants will design wellness programs and discuss the role of organizations in maintaining employee wellness.