An exploratory study on the need for an employee assistance programme (E.A.P) : the case of Cape Winelands District Municipality

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:Employees, whether in the public or private sector, are the most valuable asset of an organisation. The human resource component of the organisation contributes toward the creation of a positive advantage for that organisation. Any organisation with high performance goals will treat people as their most valuable asset and the top priority within the organisation. Too many organisations still do not invest in the human side of the equation, but emphasise the technical efficiency which reaps financial investment. Organisations that want to remain competitive and at the leading edge must invest more in the human side of the equation. Today more and more organisations are aware of their social responsibility towards their employees.Employees experience a multitude of personal and work-related problems such as marital, family and financial difficulties, substance abuse, the impact of HIV/AIDS, job stress, job burnout and other. These problems influence work performance detrimentally, which in turn causes financial losses to the organisation. Further pressure is placed on the work community with government legislation on employment equity and affirmative action, which also leads to diversity problems within the workplace. In this milieu, work organisations are challenged to take up their social responsibility towards their employees and take better care of them.One way in which organisations can take care of their employees is through an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). An EAP is a service provided by organisations to their employees to deal with health, personal, marital and substance abuse problems and other. It is a short-term, confidential counselling service for employees who are experiencing personal problems that affect their work performance and which can therefore improve the employees‟ general wellness.Cape Winelands District Municipality (CWDM) does not have a formal structure such as an EAP to render support to a troubled employee. This research focused on the question: 'Is there a need for an EAP at CWDM? The data gathered in this study reveal that there is a great need for an EAP. On the basis of the outcome of the study, ten practical guidelines for implementation of an EAP are provided to the organisation.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University