Work-life balance and employee retention in public level five hospitals in Kenya.

Abstract

Work-life balance practices are human resource practices that ensure alignment of work and personal life. Retention of employees is a strategy that an organizations use to keep employees from preferring employment elsewhere. This investigated the influence of work-life balance on staff retention in public level five hospitals in Kenya. Specific objectives of the study were; to establish the influence of employee assistance programs and work schedules on staff retention in public level five hospitals in Kenya. The study adopted descriptive and correlational research designs. The study targeted 472 doctors, 3318 nurses and 449 clinical officers from the eleven (11) public level five hospitals in Kenya. Proportionate stratified random sampling design was used to select eight (8) public level five hospitals from which a total sample size of 40 doctors, 278 nurses, and 37 clinical officers were selected. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Cronbach alpha was used to test reliability of the research instruments. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to describe study findings based on the objectives. Tables and percentages were used for descriptive statistics while Binary Logistic Regression Model computed using SPSS Version.23 was used for data analysis. Results showed that employee assistance programs significantly influenced retention of health workers’. Availability of work schedules did not influence retention. Employee assistance programs significantly influenced employee retention. There is need for management to invest in improving employee assistance programs to encourage employees to remain in the hospitals. Management should also design new approaches relating to work schedules so as to attract and retain their talented workforce.