Workplace Deviant behavior amongst healthcare workers in the Free State Province, South Africa
1
Community Health Department, Universitas Academic Hospital /University of Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A3348
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Workplace Deviant Behaviour (WDB) is any behaviour or action that goes against organization’s code of conduct and other policies that dictate how employees should behave at work.an increased number of serious WDB cases have been reported in FSDoH leading to employee’s dismissals, lawsuits, and departmental reputational damage in the media. This is concerning as such conduct has detrimental effects on patients’ trust in the department and may affect staff morale and patient care.
AIM:
to identify and describe WDB in the FSDoH. To determine where sanctions deter staff from performing WDB and are applied are consistent across the FSDoH’s facilities
METHODS:
Descriptive cross-sectional study using online self -administered questionnaire. The questionnaire has a total of 25 Questions with combination MCQ, five -point likert scale questions and free texts questions. It was distributed to key stakeholders using REDcap through work email addresses during the period from to 01 July 31 until the October 2025.No compensation was provided to the participants. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics Stata 15 system
RESULTS:
237 health care workers responded out of 417 targeted for the research (Response rate of 56%), majority of healthcare workers (78,4%) agreed that FSDoH has disciplinary code but about 49.2% of them indicated that it’s not applied consistently across the department. About 45,3 % of health care workers are satisfied with disciplinary process. Absenteeism, Theft, late coming are the top three common workplace WDB, while theft, substance abuse and absenteeism were identified as the top three serious WDB.
CONCLUSIONS:
FSDoH’s disciplinary process is functional but can be improved by strengthen capacity building, communication and turnaround times . Recommendations that FSDoH should outsource disciplinary case to improve fairness processes & invest in Capacity Building . Finally, it should also develop sanction/misconduct matrix to standardize DC processes.
Workplace Deviant Behaviour (WDB) is any behaviour or action that goes against organization’s code of conduct and other policies that dictate how employees should behave at work.an increased number of serious WDB cases have been reported in FSDoH leading to employee’s dismissals, lawsuits, and departmental reputational damage in the media. This is concerning as such conduct has detrimental effects on patients’ trust in the department and may affect staff morale and patient care.
AIM:
to identify and describe WDB in the FSDoH. To determine where sanctions deter staff from performing WDB and are applied are consistent across the FSDoH’s facilities
METHODS:
Descriptive cross-sectional study using online self -administered questionnaire. The questionnaire has a total of 25 Questions with combination MCQ, five -point likert scale questions and free texts questions. It was distributed to key stakeholders using REDcap through work email addresses during the period from to 01 July 31 until the October 2025.No compensation was provided to the participants. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics Stata 15 system
RESULTS:
237 health care workers responded out of 417 targeted for the research (Response rate of 56%), majority of healthcare workers (78,4%) agreed that FSDoH has disciplinary code but about 49.2% of them indicated that it’s not applied consistently across the department. About 45,3 % of health care workers are satisfied with disciplinary process. Absenteeism, Theft, late coming are the top three common workplace WDB, while theft, substance abuse and absenteeism were identified as the top three serious WDB.
CONCLUSIONS:
FSDoH’s disciplinary process is functional but can be improved by strengthen capacity building, communication and turnaround times . Recommendations that FSDoH should outsource disciplinary case to improve fairness processes & invest in Capacity Building . Finally, it should also develop sanction/misconduct matrix to standardize DC processes.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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