A 2024 global survey by Gallup found that Sub-Saharan Africa has the second-lowest percentage of thriving employees.
Nearly half of employees said they deal with a lot of stress, more than a quarter reported sadness, and about one in four admitted feeling lonely.
As a result, three out of four employees are either watching for or actively searching for a new job.
When up to 75% of employees are already looking for new opportunities, your business cannot afford to ignore employee health and well-being.
Today, we look at why wellness programs are vital for a business’s success, plus 7 programs you can start implementing.
What are Employee Wellness Programs?
Employee wellness programs are initiatives that employers offer, either on a voluntary or mandatory basis, to support employee health and boost productivity.
Most organisations structure them as part of the employee benefits package.
Traditionally, these programs concentrated on physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
However, forward-thinking companies are also including financial and social well-being.
Wellness initiatives are not legally required, but they make a huge difference in how your employees show up at work and how long you can retain them.
An excellent wellness program is diverse enough to meet the needs of different employees in ways that feel relevant and personal.
More importantly, the wellness program should reflect the company culture.
When wellness is embedded into everyday work life, employees know that their health and well-being are not an afterthought but a priority, and it shows in how long an employee chooses to stay.
Case in point: a 2023 Global EX Trends report found that employees who believe their organisation lives by its values are significantly more engaged and 23 per cent more likely to stay for more than 3 years.
Should You Offer Workplace Wellness Programs to Kenyan Employees?
Employees are the greatest asset of any business.
When you invest in their well-being, you create a workforce that is happier, healthier, and more productive.
In fact, several surveys have shown that workplace wellness programs strengthen both retention and performance.
Here are a few interesting findings reported by Zippia:
- Companies that promote a culture of health experience an 11% drop in turnover compared to those that do not.
- Wellness programs can cut absenteeism by 14–19%, since healthier employees need fewer sick days.
- 87% of employees say health and wellness benefits influence their decision when choosing an employer.
- When companies actively support wellness, over 80% of employees report enjoying their work, and 85% plan to stay.
- For every coin invested in wellness, businesses can see up to a 6-to-1 return, mostly through lower healthcare costs and reduced absenteeism.
Now, the question for leaders in Kenya is not whether to offer wellness programs, but which initiatives will create the most impact for their teams.
Examples of Employee Health and Well-being Workplace Programs
If you already have an existing workforce, there’s no better place to get inspiration than your own employees.
We recommend running a company-wide survey on the types of programs your employees would want to see in the organisation.
What if you’re starting out?
The next best thing to do is to benchmark the wellness initiatives that are already rampant in your industry. Either way, these are the 7 most popular wellness initiatives for businesses in Kenya.
1. Flexible working
The standard working hours in Kenya are up to 52 hours per week. However, your organization can choose to offer flexible working as an employment benefit to your employees.
Recent data shows that 42% of people in Africa already work remotely at least one day a week, and 73% say they would like the chance to do so.
The number of companies hiring remote workers across the continent has grown by over 800% in just one year.
As the younger generation steps into the workforce, remote working will become less of an option and more of an expectation. Will your organization be ready?
That aside, flexible working can also look like more maternity or paternity leave days.
For example, at Safaricom, maternity leave is four months instead of the statutory three, and mothers returning to work receive six months of flexible hours.
2. Financial wellness
According to last year’s Old Mutual report, almost half of Kenyans say they feel overwhelmed by their financial situation.
That level of stress shows up at work, too. Distracted employees struggle to focus, miss deadlines, and often start looking for opportunities that promise better pay or stability.
Companies can take some of this pressure off by offering financial wellness programs. This could mean:
- Offering financial education sessions to help employees budget, save, and invest.
- Providing retirement savings plans that go beyond what the law requires.
- Reimbursing tuition fees for staff who want to continue learning.
- Partnering with SACCOs or fintechs to give access to affordable credit or salary advances.
Financial wellness programs give your employees a sense of stability, which, as you know, is a powerful incentive for them to stay loyal to the company.
3. Work-life balance initiatives
Poor work-life balance is one of the biggest reasons employees feel burned out or start looking for new jobs. Long hours, family responsibilities, and lack of downtime all add up, and eventually, performance suffers.
Your company can change this by offering initiatives that give employees breathing space.
This could mean adding mental health days, granting more paid leave than the law requires, or providing childcare support.
At Safaricom, for instance, parents have access to a nursery with qualified caretakers and teachers. Staff are encouraged to bring children to work when needed.
And the payoff for promoting work-life balance is huge.
According to the EX Trends report we referenced earlier, 63% of employees who feel they have a healthy work-life balance are willing to go above and beyond for their organizations, compared to less than a third of those who rate their balance poorly.
4. Mental health initiatives
Stress and burnout remain among the biggest threats to employee health and well-being.
Unfortunately, 48% of employees in Sub-Saharan Africa report high stress, 28% experience sadness, and 26% struggle with loneliness.
When your people are overwhelmed, their productivity drops, and so does their commitment to the job.
Employers can counteract this by normalizing conversations around mental health and giving staff access to support.
This can look like sharing mental health resources, offering free counseling sessions, or covering subscriptions to mental health apps.
Workload assessments and realistic goal-setting also go a long way in preventing burnout before it starts.
Also, you can consider offering one or two mental health days per employee per year, no questions asked.
5. Physical health initiatives
Physical health is personal, but it always seeps into how employees perform.
To get ahead of things, consider creating on-site fitness centers, offering healthy food options, or covering gym memberships. If that’s not possible, negotiate discounted rates with local gyms.
Regular health screenings are also a pretty handy idea, provided results remain confidential.
6. Give back to the community program
Employees want to feel that their work connects to something bigger, and community programs are an exciting way to create that link.
You can do this in several ways.
For instance, you might give employees a day off each year to volunteer with an organisation they care about, or organise a company-wide or department-wide volunteer day.
Another strategy is to support a charity or NGO on behalf of employees, either through funding or partnerships.
Community programs are one of the best ways for employees to see their own values reflected at work. That sense of alignment not only motivates people but also strengthens long-term commitment to the organization.
7. Recognition and growth programs
Your best people want to know their work matters, and they want to hear it regularly.
A ‘well done’ in front of the team, a certificate, or grabbing lunch with leadership can be more effective than you think.
In fact, over 80 percent of employees say they put in more effort when their work is acknowledged.
Recognition is also tied directly to retention, since about 7 in 10 employees admit they would be less likely to quit if recognition were more consistent.
If you pair recognition initiatives with structured growth opportunities like mentorship, training, or career pathing, you’ll be creating a more substantial employee value proposition.
Your organization, in turn, will experience higher engagement and improved employee performance.
How to Implement Your First Wellness Program
- Get employees’ feedback: Do not assume you know what employees want. Run surveys or quick check-ins to pick their brain. You may find people care more about flexible hours or childcare support than, say, a discounted gym membership. An employee wellness program based on existing staff needs will always gain more traction.
- Assign a team to champion wellness: Every change in an organization requires a team to own and champion it. Wellness initiatives are no different. This group should be responsible for collecting feedback, recommending improvements, and making sure employees know what is available and how to take part.
- Lay out clear policies so there are no doubts about what’s permissible and what’s not.
- Lead by example: If, for example, you offer mental health days, let employees see leadership take the days off.
- Keep revising your wellness programs based on impact on employee performance as well as any feedback you receive from employees and managers.
Wellness Programs Are a Business Necessity
Any business operating today needs at least one wellness initiative.
After all, your employees’ well-being directly affects their performance and how long they choose to stay with your company.
In fact, we’ve already established that companies with wellness programs see lower turnover, reduced absenteeism, and higher employee engagement. More importantly, they create workplaces where people actually want to work.
If you haven’t started a wellness program yet, now is the time to do it.
First, get employee feedback to understand what your team needs. Next, based on their feedback, experiment with one or two initiatives that align with your company culture and budget.
You can later modify based on how much that program contributed to your workforce engagement and retention.
The experts at Bridge Talent Management can help you design wellness programs that work for your team’s needs and business budget. Book a free consultation to learn more.
FAQs
What is the employee wellness program?
An employee wellness program is an initiative that supports the overall health, well-being, and productivity of staff. Employers typically include these programs as part of their benefits package so employees feel valued and show up as their best selves at work.
What are the four areas of employee wellness in the workplace?
Traditionally, wellness programs included physical, mental, and emotional health. Forward-thinking companies now also add financial and social well-being.
Are wellness programs legally required?
Wellness programs are not a legal requirement. However, research has shown that employers who invest in wellness see lower absenteeism, better retention, and higher productivity.
What is the biggest benefit of employee wellness initiatives?
The most significant benefit of wellness programs is retention. Studies show that companies with healthy wellness programs keep employees longer, with staff reporting higher engagement and more substantial commitment.
Book your free consultation with an HR expert today!
