The East London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ) has launched a multi-stakeholder-supported Employee Wellness Programme in the city.
The wellness initiative seeks to draw together various employee policies and employee support services into a programme that collectively responds to a range of social issues, physical, financial, emotional and spiritual wellness and other personal wellbeing factors that employees may typically encounter, either in the home environment or in the workplace.
By identifying available medical services, counselling, advisory and other forms of professional intervention addressing these issues, the programme serves as a foundation towards implementation of the IDZ's longer-term efforts to deliver employee-related industry support services.
This extended focus will seek to actively promote employee health awareness and best practices among Buffalo City-based industries through the IDZ's interface and relationship with investing industries.
ELIDZ chief financial officer Ntombizine Madyibi says South Africa 's industrial productivity and competitiveness is undermined by the prevalence of human resource challenges, such as excessive absenteeism (due to direct employee illness and other indirect causes) plus the related consequences of reduced employee efficiency and effectiveness on the job.
Madyibi quotes a recent Corporate Absenteeism Management Solutions (CAMS) survey which estimates that absenteeism alone costs South African industries some R19 billion per year in unproductive expenditure and associated lost opportunities.
“More effective management of employee wellness and wellbeing within industry could reduce these costs and place our industries on a better, more competitive path,” says Madyibi.
Madyibi says the ELIDZ had been pleased at the level of support demonstrated by local professional providers in supporting the formal launch of the ELIDZ's wellness programme and hoped to work closely with all providers in the further development of the initiative.