Exploring the employee wellness practices of SMMEs in the Gauteng region

Abstract

Small businesses flourish when employees are happy, healthy and productive. This makes employees an important asset of a small business because its success depends on the performance of its employees. Employee wellness practices in small medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) often focus on the physical aspects of wellbeing, despite employees wanting management to focus on their emotional needs. In view of the fact that employers do not realise that employee wellness significantly improves morale and increases retention rates, this research sought to explore the employee wellness experiences of managers and employees in SMMEs to develop an understanding of the need for employee wellness practices in these organisations. Accordingly, a qualitative study was conducted among 17 employees and four managers at three diverse industries operating in the Gauteng region of South Africa. The data were collected by means of focus groups interviews with employees and individual interviews with managers who work in SMMEs that employ less than 50 employees. The results indicated that employees consider employee wellness in terms of how well organisations treat them and take care of them. The findings demonstrated that employees depend on good working relationships to be happy and engaged in the workplace. Although management cited various financial and human resource constraints that limit employee wellness practices, the employees identified various activities and practices that were not dependent on financial resources for implementation. The results also showed there was insufficient evidence to support the notion that there is a link between unhealthy workplace conditions and higher absenteeism and staff turnover rates. The findings highlighted that employees need social interaction in order to feel valued and cared for and that this factor often outweighs the negative feelings employees have of working in unhealthy environments. Thus, employees were willing to work in unhealthy conditions as long as they felt valued by top management. The findings of the study contribute to the knowledge in the literature on employee wellness practices in SMMEs because limited studies have been conducted to demonstrate the impact of workplace conditions on employee wellness.

Klein ondernemings floreer wanneer werknemers gelukkig, gesond en produktief is. Dit maak werknemers ’n belangrike bate vir ’n klein onderneming, want die onderneming se sukses hang af van die werknemers se prestasie. Werknemerwelstandpraktyke in klein-, medium- en mikro-ondernemings (KMMO’s) fokus dikwels op die fisieke aspekte van welstand, ten spyte daarvan dat werknemers wil hê bestuur moet op hul emosionele behoeftes fokus. In die lig daarvan dat werkgewers nie besef dat werknemerwelstand moraal en behoudsyfers aansienlik verbeter nie, het hierdie navorsing gepoog om die werknemerwelstand-ondervindinge van bestuurders en werknemers in KMMO’s te ondersoek om ‘n begrip van die behoefte aan werknemerwelstand-praktyke in hierdie ondernemings te ontwikkel. Ooreenkomstig hiermee is ‘n kwalitatiewe studie onderneem onder 17 werknemers en vier bestuurders by drie diverse industrieë wat in die Gauteng-omgewing in Suid-Afrika sake doen. Die data is versamel deur middel van fokusgroeponderhoude met werknemers en individuele onderhoude met bestuurders wat by KMMO’s met minder as 50 werknemers werk. Die bevindinge toon dat werknemers werknemerwelstand beoordeel volgens hoe goed organisasies hulle behandel en na hulle omsien. Die bevindinge het uitgewys dat werknemers staatmaak op goeie werksverhoudings om gelukkig en betrokke te wees in die werkplek. Hoewel bestuur verskeie finansiële en menslike hulpbron-beperkings uitgewys het wat werknemerwelstandpraktyke beperk, het die werknemers verskeie aktiwiteite en praktyke geïdentifiseer wat onafhanklik van finansiële hulpbronne geïmplementeer kan word. Die studie het ook bevind dat daar nie genoegsame bewyse is om die idee te staaf dat daar ‘n verband is tussen ongesonde werkplekomstandighede en ‘n hoër afwesigheidsyfer en personeelomset nie. Die bevindinge lig dit uit dat werknemers sosiale interaksie nodig het om gewaardeerd en na omgesien te voel en dat hierdie faktor dikwels swaarder weeg as die negatiewe gevoelens wat werknemers in ‘n ongesonde werkomgewing ervaar. Werknemers is dus bereid om in ongesonde omstandighede te werk solank hulle gewaardeerd voel deur topbestuur. Die bevindinge van die studie dra by tot die kennis in die literatuur oor werknemerwelstandpraktyke in KMMO’s aangesien studies wat die impak van werkplekomstandighede op werknemerwelstand demonstreer tot dusver beperk is.

Dikgwebo tse nyane di tswella ka bokgabane ha basebetsi ba thabile, ba phetse hantle ebile ba sebelletsa ho beha ditholoana. Sena se etsa hore basebetsi e be bona ba bohlokwa haholo dikgwebong tse nyane hobane katleho ya dikgwebo tsena e dutse mahetleng a bokgabane ba basebetsi. Bophelo bo hantle ba basebetsi dikgwebong tse nyane le tse kgolwanyane (SMMEs) hangata bo tobane le bokgoni ba basebetsi ho tswellisa pele mosebetsi o behang ditholoana, empa basebetsi le bona ba batla hore ba nahanelwe ke bo ramesebetsi ka ditlhoko tsa bona tse ba amang moyeng. Bo nnete ba taba ke hore bo ramosebetsi ha ba elellwe hore bophelo bo hantle ba basebetsi bo bohlokwa hobane bo nyolla boitshwaro bo botle ba basebetsi, ebile ba dula dilemo mesebetsing ya bona. Dipatlisiso tsa pampiri ena di tlo sheba bophelo bo botle ba basebetsi ka ho lekola batshwari ba basebetsi le basebetsi mmoho dikgwebong tse nyane (SMMEs) hore bo ka tsela e jwang le ho re thusa ho utlwisisa bohlokwa ba bophelo bo hantle mesebetsing ka ho fapana. Ho fumana dintlha tsa dipatlisiso, ho kopuwe basebetsi ba leshome le metso e supileng (17) le batshwari ba basebetsi ba bane (4) mesebetsing e fapaneng Gauteng, Afrika Borwa. Ho bile le di hlopha tse fapaneng tse botsuweng dipotso hore ho tholahale dintlha ka taba ya bophelo bo hantle ba basebetsi, mme batshwari ba basebetsi ba botsuwe dipotso ka bonngwe ba bona. Dikgwebo tse nyane (SMMEs) tse nkileng phato di na le basebetsi ba ka tlase ho mashome a mahlano (50). Sephetho sa ditlatlobo tsa dipotso tse botsuweng basebetsi se bontsha hore basebetsi ba nahana hore boitshwaro bo hantle ba basebetsi bo ya ka hore mesebetsing e fapananeng batho ba hlokometswe jwang. Basebetsi ba boletse hore dikamano pakeng tsa basebetsi mmoho tse thabisang di ba loketse mesebetsing. Le ha batshwari ba Page viii basebetsi le bo radikgwebo ba lla ka hore disebediswa le ditjhelete ha di lekane hore ba tswellise pele boitshwaro bo botle ba basebetsi, basebetsi ba buile ka dintlha tse bontshang hore boitshwaro bo botle ha bo hloke tjhelete ka dinako tsohle. Sephetho se ile sa bontsha hore ha hona bopaki bo lekaneng ho bontsha hore basebetsi ba lofa mesebetsing kapa hona ho se dule dilemo mesebetsing ka lebaka la hore poleke ya bona ya mosebetsi ha e kgahlise. Dipatlisiso di bontshitse hore basebetsi ba hloka dikamano le basebetsi ba bang, ha mmoho le bo ramesebetsi hore ba ikutlwe ba kgathallwa. Dikamano tsena di etsa hore basebetsi ba phuthollohe ha ba le mesebetsing ebile ba lebale ka dintho tse sa lokang mesebetsing ya bona. Ka hoo, basebetsi ba tsotella dikamano tse ntle pakeng tsa bona le bo ramesebetsi, le ha poleke ya mosebetsi e sa thabise ha kalo. Dipatlisiso tsa pampiri ena di tlatselletsa tsebo e teng ho dithuto tsa bophelo bo hantle ba basebetsi le di tsamaiso tsa tsona dikgwebong tse nyane (SMMEs) hobane ha dingata dipampiri tse ngotsweng ka sehlooho sena ho re ruta hore boitshwaro bo botle ho basebetsi bo ama mesebetsi e fapaneng ka tsela tse jwang.