FACTORS THAT HINDER THE UTILISATION OF THE EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME IN THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR

In 1999 the Department of Public Service and Administration developed and implemented anEmployee Assistance Programme (EAP) within the public service. This reaffirmed thegovernment’s commitment to intensify the programme to fight, inter alia, HIV and AIDS, andto deal with the traumas of everyday life, experiences of discrimination, cultural alienation andstress. A change in the programme focus has clearly occurred, to a certain extent, in response tothe major transformation in South African governmental and non-governmental organisations.This change occurred as a result of the introduction of worker-related regulations such as theBasic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997, the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995, theEmployment Equity Act 58 of 1998 and the Unfair Discrimination Act 4 of 2000, and made itnecessary for the employer to investigate, assess and assist employees with problems relating tosubstance abuse or incapacity. These acts formed a solid basis for implementing the EAP.The Department of Labour (DOL) responded promptly to the implementation of the EAP in2001, yet the programme remains under-utilised and is seen both by management andemployees of the Department as a social responsibility programme rather than a sound businessstrategy