ABSTRACT
This chapter critically examines the reactions of managerial and non-managerial employees’ to HRM practices, working life and well-being initiatives in local government. The implication of these experiences in a time of restricted resources is the central focus. The methodological approach is a case study that draws from an interpretivism paradigm of hermeneutic phenomenology using mixed methods. The qualitative approach adopted was from a review of company documents, observation field notes and semi-structured interviews, which provided rich empirical in-depth data that uncovered the understanding and meanings of employees’ lived experiences. The study revealed that the local government organisational practices and observations made were aligned to a NPM environment that is subject to changing structures. Although the organisation was committed to the adoption of ‘best practice’ HRM and well-being initiatives geared towards promoting employee well-being, there was a discrepancy between the intended effects of policy initiatives and working experiences.
