Factors that influence adoption of employee wellness programs at the standard group limited

Abstract

Employee wellness programs have become increasingly popular and are being adopted by many companies because of the employer and employee benefits. Employee wellness programs are a set of organized activities and systematic interventions whose primary purposes are to provide health education, identify modifiable health risks, influence health behavior changes and facilitate a happy life at workplace and beyond. While the benefits of employee wellness programs are apparent, there are many factors that influence its adoption and therefore the success will depend on how well these factors are managed. The study sought to establish the factors that influence the adoption of employee wellness programs at the Standard Group Limited. The study adopted a case study design and it targeted the head of human resource function in the Standard Group Limited. Primary data was collected using an interview guide and content analysis was used to analyze the data. The study established that top level management support, availability of resources, employee attitude and initiative, staff turnover, legal factors and trade unions were the major factors that influenced the adoption of employee wellness programs in the Standard Group Limited. The findings led to the conclusion that employee wellness programs have both employer and employee benefits if effectively implemented and that the head of human resource function is overwhelmed due to the fact that he is the only person responsible for the success of these programs and there is need of more support from top management and other members of staff. The study recommends that the company need to work on improving its culture and employee attitude which greatly influenced the adoption. Top level managers should also participate and support these programs for its success. It also recommends the need of a wellness committee to assist in designing, developing and implementing the employee wellness programs in the company. Finally, the study suggests the need to study the types of employee wellness programs in the informal sector and how company culture influences the success of employee wellness programs.