Wellness Programs and Employee Retention in Public Universities in Kenya: A Desk Review

Public universities serve as vibrant pillars of learning, research, and societal development. However, these institutions increasingly face substantial challenges related to retaining skilled employees. The departure of academic and administrative personnel disrupts institutional continuity, compromises service delivery, and weakens educational quality. As a result, employee retention has emerged as a strategic priority in higher education management. The growing pressure on public universities, including heavy workload, constrained resource, and employee welfare concerns, has intensified the need for structured wellness initiatives that support workforce sustainability. This study presents a structured desk review investigating the influence of wellness programs on employee retention in public universities in Kenya. The review specifically examines how work–life balance practices and work environment conditions contribute to retention outcomes. Guided by Social Exchange Theory (SET), the study conceptualizes wellness programs as reciprocal organizational investments that strengthen employee commitment and loyalty. A systematic desk review methodology involving literature selection, thematic analysis, and analytical synthesis of peer-reviewed sources was applied. The synthesis demonstrates that wellness initiatives, including flexible work arrangements, supportive leadership, inclusive organizational culture, and employee welfare programs, enhance job satisfaction, psychological safety, and institutional attachment. These outcomes collectively influence retention behavior. The findings further indicate that the effectiveness of wellness initiatives depends on institutional consistency, implementation quality, and alignment with broader human resource practices. By integrating fragmented literature into a coherent analytical framework, this study contributes to evidence-based human resource management discourse in higher education.