Perceptions of Employee Assistance Practitioners of South Africa on the factors that influence professional ethics in Employee Assistance Programmes

Abstract

The workplace faces various challenges that impact employee functioning and the general mood of the work environment. Employment Assistance Programmes (EAPs), as a workplace response to the human and environmental challenges, have played an important contribution in the South African workplace since 1980. Benefits of using EAPs in the workplace include improved productivity, staff retention, reduced absenteeism and many other economic and social benefits. Professional ethics of EAP vendors in South Africa lack standardisation. Working from a person-in environment (P-I-E) perspective, this qualitative study explored factors that influence professional ethics with sixteen (16) EAP practitioners identified through a non-probability purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were administered. EAP practitioners were drawn from different work backgrounds and qualifications in Gauteng province, in South Africa. Data was analysed using a thematic analysis approach. The results showed that EAP is making a significant contribution to the South African corporate and government workforce and the workplace. There are several socio-economic benefits linked to having an EAP in the workplace. However, an unlegislated EAP practice, unaccredited EAP programmes and unlicensed EAP practitioners threaten the credibility of the EAP professional ethics and the effectiveness of the interventions. This study recommends that to standardise EAP practice and intervention outcomes, EAP practitioners must be licensed by one professional body. Employee Assistance Professionals Association of South Africa (EAPA- SA) is suggested as a viable option with credible standards and ethics documents that meet international EAP best practice guidelines.