Pep Clothing (PepClo) employs 2 000 people in South Africa’s largest clothing manufacturing facility (under one roof) .

Although this is not a high industrial facility, we are very aware of the physical and emotional needs of our
employees. Injuries are mostly limited to needle pricks and the odd cut here and there, but we have a high awareness and focus on absenteeism, social and emotional well-being. Having a Wellness Clinic and special care practitioners on-site provides our employees with personal and confidential services during working hours. It gives them confidence to seek help and helps us with people not taking off work to visit public centres to collect chronic medication, for example.

The on-site clinic is open five days a week and on two evenings. Staff have access to a medical doctor, three registered nurses, and social workers.

We have also introduced absence monitoring clerks. These are employees who work on the floor in the production
lines. They assist absent employees in identifying the root cause of their absence and encouraging them to seek
counselling and help from the Wellness Clinic. Since the inception of this system in August 2019, absenteeism has
dropped by 18%.

Clinic services include:

• Health surveillance
• Identifying occupational health hazards
• Handling injuries on duty and occupational diseases
• Emergency services
• Primary health conditions
• Chronic medication collectiion and distribution from health centres
• Arrange yearly vision screening with Occuvision
• Arrange for occupational and physiotherapists treatment
• Audiometric testing
• Preventative action: flu injections, vitamin injections
• Assisting SHEQ management with all health issues

Social care:

• Parenting issues
• Marital issues and maintenance
• Bereavement and trauma
• Mental health
• Addiction (own and family)
• Children at risk
• Stress
• Conflict resolution

From left to right, PepClo’s wellness team: Sr Erna Lubbe (clinic manager), Sr Desiree Jacobs (primary healthcare and health education) and Natalie Witbooi (personal assistant). They are assisted by a team of social workers.