The Management of Health Risks in the Kwazulu-Natal Department of Education

Abstract

Employees are generally regarded as the most valuable asset of any organisation. It is thus critical that employees' general well-being be promoted to ensure that health risks such as sickness, employee incapacity, and ill-health incidents are minimised. An employer has a constitutional obligation and statutory responsibilities to provide a workplace that is free of any disease, clean, safe, and conducive to effective and efficient performance of human resources. This article reflects on a qualitative study conducted in the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education aimed at interrogating the challenges faced by the Department in managing core health risks amongst its educators. Based on a comprehensive literature survey, document analysis, international best practice, and the input obtained from human resource practitioners, health risk professionals and educators in the Department, recommendations are made to improve the implementation of health risk management programmes and strategies.