The Department’s Employee Health and Wellness Units, at both Head Office and Regions have been quite active in raising awareness on various issues that directly or indirectly affect employee work performance. A good wellness program assists individual employees overcome specific health-related issues. As a follow-up to the Wellness Screening session hosted by eThekwini Region on 23 February 2018, it was exciting to notice an overwhelming presence of stakeholders who attended. Interestingly, a majority were from finance institutions, namely Corner Life Insurance, Debt Eraser, AVBOB, Old Mutual, Metropolitan and Assupol Insurance. The existence of financiers in any work setting serves a good purpose.
As we celebrate Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela’s centenary, we will remind ourselves that he “laid the foundation of a healthy nation”. Therefore, we will need to look into employees’ work life balance that includes the prioritization between work (career and ambition) and lifestyle (health, pleasure and leisure, family). This will allow us to confront lifestyles diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cancers, cardiovascular diseases and many others.
A big “Thank You!” to all those willing partners who continue to honour the Department’s EHW invitations. They are real partners who actually make a difference in the lives of many employees. Their contributions have been so immense that some employees continue enjoying the lifestyle they deserve while others have that much-needed financial relief.
If you think these partners are there for just making profit, think again. The big selling point of the Department’s wellness programme of course is that it is mutually advantageous. For the employer, it results in a workforce that is healthy and productive. For the employee, it represents an effective support network, one of the most valuable benefits Public Works can offer to its employees
For the purpose of our understanding, employee personal finances and balanced work life is key to healthy living and productivity improvement in a workplace. The reality is that employees who feel unrecognized, overworked or dissatisfied can lead to burnout and this type of exhaustion at work can be a health and safety hazard. Burnout is a special type of work stress. It is a state of physical, emotional or mental exhaustion combined with doubts about one’s competence and the value of one’s work. Burnout strikes employees when they have exhausted their physical or emotional strength. It usually occurs due to prolonged stress or frustration. The cause may sometimes be stressful work environment, lack of support and resources and tight deadlines can all contribute to burnout.
Added to work burnout is worrying about personal finance, which can affect not only you, but also your personal health and family life. Bad personal finances and work is very real and a serious consequence of living with continual stress of debt may be too far reaching than one could imagine. This can be lethal to your life if left untreated. Although everyone needs an optimal level of stress to do any work, but when it starts to impact on a life in the form of sleep deprivation, headaches and/or constant flu, bugs or colds, it is time to get help. Signs of too much stress to look for in yourself and others include a difference in general presentation, mood swings, periods of intense anxiety, tiredness and or sleep deprivation, missing deadlines or not getting work done. These are some of the common emotional side effects of debt and burnout.
Many studies have shown that regular exercise and healthy diet are without doubt the best options in reducing stress and depression. Drugs and alcohol just exacerbate the problem. If you do not deal with stress, you are headed for burn out. On the other hand, the best way to combat the emotional impact of debt is to face the problem and take steps towards finding a debt solution. Debt mediators offer qualified advice and options to relieve employees of the debt stress. The ways that seek to encourage and help employees begin fostering a culture of balance in the workplace include amongst others: engaging in team building exercises; embracing that learning feeds the mind; encouraging employees towards finance management skills and creating some designated ‘quiet space’ for meditation during breaks.
Striking that perfect balance between career and personal finances has always been a challenge for most workers. Work-life balance involves juggling workplace stress with the daily pressures of family, friends, and self. Modern employees demand greater control over their lives and a bigger say in the structure of their work and salaries. When employees feel a greater sense of control and ownership over their own lives, they tend to have better relationships with management and are able to leave work issues at work and home issues at home. Balanced employees tend to feel more motivated and less stressed out at work, which thereby increases productivity and reduces the number of conflicts among coworkers and management.
Let us begin to create space for healthy work life. One should do the best with that little one has from one’s pocket and find pleasure in return.
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