Read the article below and answer ALL the questions that follow. Why has the COVID$-19$ pandemic made a focus on employee wellness more important than ever? To really determine the health of a business, we must take a holistic view $-$ one that includes the health of its employees. Their health determines their productivity and a company's growth and potential.Every year South Africa loses billions of rands to absenteeism and a huge proportion of that is linked to employees falling mentally or physically ill. The COVID$-19$ pandemic has heightened these trends. How do corporate organisations combat these losses in a time of global uncertainty? COVID$-19$ puts unprecedented pressure on physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. Employee wellbeing drives productivity. Employees who feel physical, mentally and spiritually well will be able to show up for work each day, to undertake their work to the best of their ability and to join company meetings. They will be able to offer ideas on problem$-$solving and innovation, and to assist leaders in uplifting team morale as a whole. In May $2020,$ research called "Navigating COVID$-19-$ Impact of the pandemic on mental health," by the US$-$based Society for Human Resource Management, found that $41\%$ of respondents felt burned out from grappling with lives altered by COVID$-19.$ Respondents felt pressurised by threats to their job security, pay and benefits. They felt "out of sight, out of mind" or that their work ethic and performance were being questioned because they were not in the office every day. Researchers propose that employers counter these trends by: $1.$ Prioritising employee mental health through health coaching, health and wellness tips, online courses and resources aimed at addressing stress, loneliness, anxiety or depression. $2.$ Using technology to give employees access to mental health resources $-$ particularly to employee wellness programmes and wellness coaches who are available telephonically or online. $3.$ Keeping in frequent contact with employees to help them to feel supported and as though they have job security and tenure in the company. Offering employees emotional support and recognising that they are living through a time of great stress and uncertainty. "Employers have to adapt to approaching employee wellness anew" $-$ Nonku Pitje. According to Future Workplace $2020$ HR Sentiment Survey, "A Greater focus on Employee Experience" ranked first with $50\%$ of respondents. Following this result was a greater focus on using technology and artificial intelligence to automate routine tasks, performance management, and people analytics at $41\%,35\%$ and $32\%,$ respectively. "But, focusing on employee wellness at a time of global pandemic $-$ of business, economic and societal crisis $-$ is easier said than done," says Nonkululeko Pitje, Discovery's Head of Employee Health Solutions. "Employers have to adapt to approaching employee wellness anew. With work$-$from$-$home the new normal for many employees, our focus on wellbeing has to extend a traditional focus on the way in which the office feeds employee wellbeing, to how well our staff are coping at home or anywhere else where they work. By finding new ways to continue taking excellent care of our employees, we sustain high$-$performing teams that are better able to care for our customers, drive growth for the company and for each employee." Are you missing the signs of burnout among your employees? In March this year, a Gartner survey of $80$ global HR executives found that $88\%$ of organisations had encouraged and required employees to work as a response to the need to curb the spread of COVID$-19.$ Psychologist James Gower warns, "Employees have worked exceedingly hard under COVID$-19$ lockdown alert levels that saw many working from home. They are distinctly aware that colleagues or acquaintances have faced job losses or pay cuts, and they have burnt the candle at both ends to prove $-$ should the company need to cut back on staff $-$ that they are worth keeping. "Once employees begin their return to work, the crisis is far from over," says James. "Already exhausted employees are expected to continue meeting harsh deadlines and what may be a challenging and hostile environment, where they feel threats to their health and their livelihood, and in which it's all about the survival of the hardest worker." He warns employers to be aware of the signs of burnout and actively work against the rising tide of employee overwork, much as their efforts are needed to get businesses back on their feet or to keep them from going under. "Employee wellness programs should be central to every business strategy," says Nonku. "The COVID$-19$ pandemic has pressured employers and employees, but focusing on healthy, happy employees is essential. At Discovery, we've considered how to support businesses in responding to COVID$-19$ effectively." QUESTION $1(20$ Marks$)$ Examine prosocial behaviors in organizations and their effects on interpersonal relationships.