Never before has the resilience of ACTOM’s wellness programmes been tested like they have since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff have needed support on so many levels – health, mental and trauma counselling, and financial support through advice and job stability. It’s at times like these where the value of established and trained HR teams and partnerships with specialised, in-house, and outsourced wellness networks become evident.
Wellness is so much more than just health and physical well-being. It relates to the material or financial, physical, psychological, social, cultural, environmental, and spiritual wellness of each member of the team.
“An employee cannot possibly be doing their job to the best of their ability if they’re doing it on an empty stomach or wondering which debt collector would call next about outstanding accounts, or worse still, mourning the loss of a loved one,” explains Sylvester Makamu, Group HR Executive.
“As a company, we believe it’s our responsibility to help our employees, as much as we are able to, to lead well-balanced lives. We achieve this by empowering our human resource staff with the resources and knowledge to enable employees to make educated choices, or to direct employees to the professional help they may need when they find themselves in a difficult situation.”
Sylvester Makamu talking about the wellness of employees.
Many of the divisional HR teams outsource various aspects of wellness management to companies specialising in this field.
“Our employees’ overall wellness impacts the health of the business performance and climate. When we come to work, we bring along with us everything that is a part of us, and for this reason, it’s important that we support our employees to be the best that they can be in the workplace,” said Alleyzandt Verhufen, Divisional HR and Training Manager, John Thompson.
Alleyzandt goes on to explain that the business contracts the services of a wellness group for all business units across the John Thompson division. This group provides psycho-social services to the John Thompson employees to ensure financial, legal, mental, social, and emotional well-being. Concerns are addressed through telephonic counselling, one-on-one counselling or through a coaching process.
Should certain trends develop among employees, these are highlighted and addressed with management and in some instances management on a group basis.
“We’ve previously, through our wellness provider, facilitated a group financial clinic to help staff better understand how to manage debt and plan for the future, as many of our staff were battling with their finances. Prior to the COVID-19 lockdown, we facilitated a session on planning and prioritising techniques to reduce stress.”
John Thompson has an on-site clinic at its Bellville office, run by Occupational Health Nursing Practitioner Annah Tladi. Here, Annah is conducting a basic medical on staff member Jack Bredenkamp.
John Thompson hosts annual wellness days for staff. This has, however, not been possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditionally, wellness days form part of a wellness prevention strategy. A network of service providers are invited to share information with staff on a variety of wellness topics and themes.
“I believe another important aspect of wellness is employee retirement planning. We encourage employees to take an active interest in their retirement savings and to start saving early! We arrange meetings with our consultants to allow employees to use the planning tools available to one day retire comfortably and continue to live well,” said Alleyzandt Verhufen.
The divisions situated at Knights in Germiston all use the services of the on-site Occupational Medical Clinic and the services provided by Occupational Health Practitioner Ina Snyman and her team.
The Occupational Medical Clinic at Knights is staffed by, from left to right, Occupational Health Practitioner Ina Snyman; Occupational Health Technician Rehka Pillay; Occupational Health Assistant Makotong Bosoma; and Occupational Health Practitioner Suzan Monare.
The team is responsible for the physical wellness of some 1,600 individuals. They conduct regular medicals with all staff, with the regularity depending on the nature of the employee’s work. If any issues are picked up during these medicals, they are referred for further check-ups, and the clinic assists them in any way they can.
“This past year has been slightly different for us because of the sudden need to provide support with the COVID-19 pandemic. The ACTOM COVID-19 pandemic strategy has been detailed in What’s Watt, but the one thing that stands out for me is how we all pulled together as a team and tackled an unseen enemy doing its best to attack the wellness of not only our organisation, but the world. I believe that it has made us stronger,” said Sister Ina Snyman.
“It’s far from over, and we need to be mindful of the mental strain this pandemic has had on so many. But we’ve also seen such a great sense of community. We won’t let our guard down now, and we’ll continue to fight this pandemic and provide the support we have since the start.”
Wellness education is also addressed through Toolbox Talks at Knights. Shift managers or supervisors discuss topics often determined by the workforce. The staff at the clinic assist in putting this material together.
Those divisions contracted to outsourced wellness groups receive regular educational material to share with staff as Leticia Marais, Manager: Human Resources, Medium Voltage Switchgear explains: “Our outsourced wellness partner shares regular and relevant awareness material with us that we circulate to colleagues to raise awareness of wellness issues. The material is eye-catching and easy to understand, making communication of complex issues much easier.”
Counselling and support for staff based at Knights is handled by an outsourced company which sends qualified counsellors once a week for face-to-face counselling.
Through these outsourced arrangements, many of the ACTOM divisions and businesses provide staff with access to dedicated, unlimited telephonic counselling and support via a 24 hour a day, seven day a week counselling and support call centre for employees battling mental health illness, stress, and trauma.
Outsourced companies also provide HIV management and support with testing conducted on-site as well as assistance for ARV programme registration and ongoing management. Many ACTOM sites have their own clinics which regularly monitor diseases such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, and obesity. In some instances where such clinics are not available, chronic diseases such as these are managed through medical aids or outsourced wellness groups.
“The wellness of our staff is very important but is also a specialised field and one that M&C has outsourced for many years now,” said Paul De Nobrega, Division Risk Manager for Marthinusen & Coutts.
He went on to explain that M&C has an onsite clinic where pre- and post-employment health checks and regular medicals are conducted. There is also a referral system should staff need to see a doctor. The Occupational Health Nursing Practitioner carries out checks on first aid boxes in the factory for health and safety compliance. Outsourced partners ensure that staff receive regular wellness information across a broad range of relevant topics.
Ofentse Mosaka, a Dismantler at Reid & Mitchell receives his annual flu vaccine from by Occupational Health Nursing Practitioner, Pulane Jiyana.
Pulane Jiyana is the full-time Occupational Health Nursing Practitioner at the on-site clinic at Reid & Mitchell. She is responsible for the wellness of its staff and provides occupational and primary healthcare services. She is supported by a doctor who visits the clinic once a week and an outsourced wellness group which sends a representative to assist with HIV testing and counselling. Sister Jiyana receives educational material from this partner and other suppliers, and displays it in the clinic to share information with staff members relating to their condition.
Occupational Nursing Practitioner Pulane Jiyana is also responsible for health and safety audits in public areas such as ablution facilities and the canteen.
“Another area of wellness that I’m passionate about is physical fitness because I understand the importance of exercise for good health. I hope, after this COVID-19 pandemic, to be able to initiate some sporting or exercise programmes within Reid & Mitchell,” says Sister Pulane Jiyana.
"The right way to wash your hands" as shown by R&M's Occupational Nursing Practitioner Pulane Jiyana.
“I think something we mustn’t forget about as part of wellness is job security,” says Sybrand Nel, Divisional CEO of ACTOM Engineering Projects and Contracts.
“We have worked tirelessly to ensure job security for our staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the long-term wellness of our staff and their families. Although we aren’t out of the woods yet, we believe that we have a sound business plan in place.”
Ferdi Swart, Divisional HR Manager, ACTOM Engineering Projects and Contracts, provides regular counselling and support to staff.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that we can’t take well-being or business-as-usual for granted. Now more than ever, people are looking more closely at their lives and weighing up what really matters. It shouldn’t take a pandemic for us to do that, though. We should be looking after ourselves and our loved ones all the time. It’s so important that we educate ourselves and choose wisely for the future, and I hope that through our various wellness programmes we are able to share information with our colleagues to aid this process,” says Mervyn Naidoo, Group CEO.
Mervyn Naidoo looks at wellness and business.