Prevalence of Employee Wellness Programs in Banking Institutions under the Prevailing Work Trends: A Case of Bankers in Nairobi County, Kenya

Purpose: The study sought to assess the prevalence of employee wellness programs under the prevailing work trends amongst bankers in Nairobi County, Kenya Methodology: The study applied a mixed methods approach using a concurrent research design for both quantitative and qualitative data. The concurrent design was particularly suited for this study endeavor as it enabled a comprehensive understanding that extended beyond what could be gleaned from either quantitative or qualitative data in isolation. Findings: The study focused on the prevalence of wellness programs offered by the commercial banks in Nairobi County. These included workplace support, mental health training, mental health support, and quiet spaces for recovery. The results showed that most employees had a perception of very limited organizational support in the area of wellness because the mean scores in all the subscales were very low. Mental health training and organized support services such as counseling and employee assistance programs registered low access and coverage in the quantitative responses. In addition, the qualitative responses showed that there was minimal leadership engagement, low program utilization because of stigma, and absence of spaces designed specifically for trauma-informed emotional recovery. The employees demonstrated the need for holistic wellness programs that were visible, inclusive and empathetic frameworks within the context of the recently adopted hybrid model of work and the severely overworked environment in the banking sector. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study highlighted the importance of having a holistic employee wellness strategy that tackles the increasingly sophisticated job demands that impact productivity, especially concerning the work trends of bankers in Nairobi County. It is important for employers to bridge the generational complexities, by fostering diverse organizational climates that offer psychological safety for more young employees. Additional studies might look into the evolving consequences of stressors in the workplace and how wellness policies shift with time in the banking industry, given the incessant global instabilities that increase stress and anxiety on bank workers. Policy makers and government might need to enforce employee wellness as a mandatory compliance requirement for organizations with robust guidelines that prohibit stigmatization.