Lourens GeyerAnnette Prins

STAFF WELLNESS INTERVENTIONAT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE

April 2007

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.

• Global Factors Globalisation Information Age Power Relations

• South African Context Transformation HIV / AIDS

WELLNESS INFLUENTIAL FACTORS

Rate of Change Work Stress Money

Crime and Violence Poverty

WELLNESS INFLUENTIAL FACTORS

• UFS Context Transformation Regional engagement Performance Management

• 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

• 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

RESEARCH

• Management matters Perceived indifference Little recognition Transformation adding

to uneven playing fields

RESEARCHWork related stressors

• Task Properties Devolution of admin Lack of resources Opportunity for growth and development

• 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 2006ACUTE ILLNESS EXPERIENCE

University of the Free State relative to Discovery Health average

Age bank (years)

Number of employees

GP visits Specialist visits

Prescribed medicine scripts

18 – 30 121 99.2% 119.3% 153.1%

31 – 40 232 97.0% 121.9% 131.5%

41 – 50 255 85.4% 123.7% 139.9%

51 – 64 422 96.6% 121.1% 146.0%

Discovery Health 2006EMPLOYEES REGISTERED ON CHRONIC ILLNESS

BENEFIT

110%

204%

171%

142%

0%

40%

80%

120%

160%

200%

240%

Reg

istr

atio

ns

rela

tive

to

Dis

co

very

H

ealt

h

18 - 30 31 - 40 41 - 50 51 -64

Age band (years)

Theoretical underpinning :A schematic representation of the hierarchical ordered

living system

Cell

Organ

Organism

Groups

Organisations

Communities

Supra-national systems

1

32

(Wessels 1991)

Theoretical underpinning :The Cybernetic Cycle

PROBLEM SOLVING MODEL

Situation analysis

GoalsEvaluation

Strategies

(Wessels 1991)

A schematic presentation of a practice model for psycho-intervention

B GOALS1. Preventative2. Remedial3. Developmental

2

3

1

3

4

1 2

32

1

A COMPLEX SYSTEMS1. Individual2. Groups3. Organisations4. Community

C METHODS1. Direct management/ Education2. Consultation-education3. Psych-technology(Wessels 1991)

Theoretical underpinning :THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL/SPIRITUAL MODEL

IN SEARCH OF A BALANCED LIFESTYLEFOUR HUMAN DIMENSIONS

Psychological

Biomedical

Social

Spiritual

(Winiarsky 1997)

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 PROGRAMMETO EMPOWER BOTH ORGANISATION AND STAFF

IN RELATION TO WELL-BEING

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)

AIM OF PROGRAMME

EVOLUTIONARY

PHASE 1

• A Campus wellness programme

• A Campus wellness office with a referral function

PHASE 2

• Organisational Interventions

• Faculty and Departmental Interventions

ESTABLISHMENT OF UFS STAFF WELLNESS PROGRAMME

BENEFITS TO COST RATIO AND GOALS

Benefits

Cost

(Gerstein & Sturnmer, 1993:180)

Time

Short Term

Intermediate Term

Long Term

• 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

PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT

Wellness programme 2007First Quarter

DATE PRESENTER THEME TIME VENUE LANGUAGE

01 February

Prof D Lubbe Self defense 13:00 – 13:45

B Khotseng

107

Afr

06 February

Dr P Nel Stress in the workplace

13:00 – 13:45

B Khotseng 107

Afr

15 February

Dr U Viljoen Seeking inner calm in the workplace

09:00 – 12:00

Chancellors Room

Afr / Eng

21 February

Dr N Mofolo How tuberculosis effects me

13:00 – 13:45

FGG 106 Sotho

28 February

Dept Music and Fine Arts

Intercultural music and art picnic

13:00 – 13:45

Old Cafeteria

Afr / Eng

14 March Dr A Prins Emotional intelligence

13:00 – 13:45

B Khotseng 107

Eng

Wellness programme 2007Second Quarter

DATE PRESENTER THEME TIME VENUE LANGUAGE

25 April Wellness Committee

Interdepartmental sport day

15:30 Sport Medicine Clinic

Afr / Eng

16 May Rev G Heymans

Visualisation for a better life

13:00 – 13:45

FGG 106 Afr

22 May Mr A van der Bijl

Preparing financially for retirement

13:00 – 13:45

B Khotseng 107

Afr / Sotho

05 June Mr F Masisi Man is fickle, but God is never changing

13:00 – 13:45

B Khotseng 107

Sotho

Wellness programme 2007Third Quarter

DATE PRESENTER THEME TIME VENUE LANGUAGE

01 August

Dr K Botha Depression: the illness of our time

13:00 – 13:45

B Khotseng

107

Eng

07 August

Dr U Viljoen Caring for the inner child

09:00 – 12:00

B Khotseng 107

Afr / Eng

18 August

Me L Opperman

Dr R Blom

Dr Z Swanepoel

Law remedies/ Children/ Psycholo-gical aspects of and during divorce

09:00 – 13:00

BOK Auditorium Mabaleng A

Afr / Eng

22 August

Prof D Marx Coronary heart disease

13:00 – 13:45

FGG 106 Eng

05 Sept Rev H Nkoana

Rev C Louw

Multiculturality in religion

13:00 – 13:45

FGG 106 Eng

19 Sept Mr A vd Bijl Plan for financial peace of mind

13:00 – 13:45

B Khotseng 107

Afr

Wellness programme 2007Fourth Quarter

DATE PRESENTER THEME TIME VENUE LANGUAGE

12 October

Wellness Committee

Soccer afternoon 14:00 UFS Sport groud

Sotho

16 October

Dr R Blom I, my teenager and religion

13:00 – 13:45

B Khotseng 107

Afr

25 October

Ms F Malefane-Tadi

How to effectively manage stress

13:00 – 13:45

FGG 106 Sotho

07 Nov Wellness Committee

Fun walk 15:30 Pellies park Afr / Eng

15 Nov Drama department

Drama under lunch 13:00 – 13:45

Scaena Afr / Eng

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