EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAMS IN GHANA AN ANALYSIS OF INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS
Keywords:
Wellness program, Hindrances, Individual, OrganizationAbstract
The study sought to identify the state of wellness programs in selected firms in Ghana. Descriptive survey research design was employed in the study. The target population was corporate organizations in Ghana who are members of the Employee Wellbeing Program Alliance. In all, 445 respondents were randomly selected for the study. The study employed structured questionnaires to obtain information on available wellness programs and factors that influenced their patronage. Three management members were also interviewed to obtain information on features of their wellness programs, their challenges and structures. The study used descriptive and thematic analysis to examine the data collected from the respondents. Results indicated that the main employee wellness programs identified were stress management, alcohol and drugs, worksite eating, diet policy, health screening, tobacco cessation, and back pain prevention, health screening, and weight management programs. Lack of time, too much stress at work, and lack of knowledge on available wellness programs affected individual participation in wellness programs. Financial constraints, inefficiency on the part of wellness committees, lack of strong corporate policies on health and wellness, were among organizational factors that affected wellness programs.
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