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Employee assistance programmes are taking off in South Africa Glenda Daniels Labour legislation is confus- ing employers, workers are stressed and the pressure for greater productivity is on everyone’s shoulders, while the notion of stable jobs has become obsolete. In South Africa there are changes in labour laws, disputed hirings and firings, the implementation of skills development and affirmative action legislation, all while trying to keep competent staff. These pressures are becoming too much for employers. And so the worldwide trend in employee assistant programmes (EAPs) – structured, workplace-linked counselling-cum- coaching services to deal with issues such as transformation, productivity, stress and diversity – is taking off in South Africa. Due to the demand in South Africa for such services, a two-day intensive workshop entitled The Fundamentals of EAPs and a one- day workshop on the unique competencies of EAP assessment and case management will be held at the Wits Club, Johannesburg, in October.
International and local workplace experts will discuss with companies and practitioners how to integrate EAPs into a company’s strategic goals and support structures, design and tailor an EAP programme appropriate to the needs of an organisation, apply the essential elements of a complete EAP according to international and national standards, and add value. EAPs are being used in South African companies to assist employers with hiring and promotion, performance appraisal, compensation, employee and labour relations, employee benefits, skills development, career counselling, diversity issues, mentoring and Aids issues. Organisational health and people development specialist and founder president of the Employee Assistance Professional Association in South Africa, Tracy Harper, said a number of issues have put the human factor high on companies’ agendas. These include violence, Aids, political transformation, the changing nature of the workforce and the call by the government for businesses to contribute to the social development of the country. Of 100 top companies surveyed in South Africa in 1996, she said, 45% had an EAP in place in at least one of their operations. They tend to address and manage mental and bio- psychological problems on an ad hoc or reactive basis. Of 42 companies interviewed, 33% had EAPs in all their group operations. In addition, 76% had written policies and guidelines, and 81% had programme procedures covering referral actions, financial and counselling costs and time off for assistance. Today, Harper said, more than 60% of private companies have EAPs and most government departments are in the process of implementing them. Many of the people running EAPs have not had the benefit of any training in this area and as a result often do not reap the workplace benefits of the investment. United States-based joint president of Blair and Burke workplace consultancy Brenda Blair said about 95% of US Fortune 500 companies have EAPs. She said 49,4-million people in the US are covered by an EAP. Another 13,7-million are covered by EAPs and managed care. In the US about 85% of EAPs are provided by external vendors and 15% by internal staff of the employer. In South Africa more and more EAPs are being provided by external vendors, often in combination with internal staff. The choice of providers in South Africa has grown from two external providers in 1995/96 to more than 15. For EAPs to be a strategic business tool, the design of the EAP and careful selection and matching of providers with companies are crucial.
Blair said employers are increasingly interested in counselling services that combine the traditional EAP services with a variety of services aimed at helping employees balance work and other parts of their lives, and similar information and referral services. “Employers are increasingly interested in EAPs which work in partnership with human resources to address workplace productivity problems. EAPs are coordinated with human resources, safety, security, disability management, occupational health and similar services. EAPs and work/life services are increasingly being provided telephonically and online,” said Blair. She said good EAPs in different countries respond to the needs of workforces. For example, the high suicide rate in Japan due to work stress necessitates a focus on stress and depression. In South Africa it would be Aids, and in the United Kingdom bullying and harassment have been identified as key areas of work-place concern.