The Effects of wellness programmes in enhancing employee well-being in star- rated hotels in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

The hospitality and tourism sector is a significant global economic force, employing 330 million people. In Kenya, particularly in star-rated hotels where the growth of the industry is on the rise, employees face strenuous working conditions that often lead to stress and burnout. Despite the potential of wellness programs to mitigate these issues, limited research exists on their effects within the Kenyan hotel industry to improve their implementation. This study seeks to fill this gap by investigating the effects of wellness programs in enhancing employee well-being in star-rated hotels in Nairobi. The study is anchored on the Job Resource Model and The Self-Determination Theory, which emphasize human motivation in building wellness programs for employees' well-being. The study used a descriptive research design, collecting data from 364 employees across 57-star rated hotels in Nairobi. The findings revealed that health education and work-life balance programmes had the strongest positive correlations with employee well-being. Health education and work-life balance programmes were the most significant predictors of employee well-being. These results highlight the critical role of wellness programmes in improving employee well-being. The findings provide insights into the benefits of wellness programmes for hotel employees and suggest innovations in operational design to enhance employee quality of life in Nairobi’s hotel industry.