Employee Assistance Programs in South Africa by Maiden R. Paul;

Author:Maiden, R. Paul; [Maiden, R. Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group
Published: 2013-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

Ethical Issues in the South African Workplace

Shirley Thompson

DOI: 10.4324/9781315859545-5

SUMMARY. Ethics and values are at the core of social work practice. The article examines the ethical conflicts inherent in working in an environment sanctioned by apartheid. The author identifies the many areas of conflict and discusses how EAP practitioners must "position" themselves for ethical practice and avoid cooptation by the organization.

To understand the ethical dilemmas of service providers in the workplace it is necessary to give a brief history of social work in the workplace and the socio-political setting in which this has taken place. During the 1950's and early 1960's a process of social engineering entrenched and legalized what is commonly known as "apartheid." Separate residential areas, migratory labor, job reservation, especially in the mining industry, as well as a poor educational system not compulsory for the Black majority led, not only to a total lack of awareness of the problems and needs of the vast majority, but also to monumental social problems which are only now being tackled.

Prior to the early 1980's, social workers, occupational health nurses and other professionals were to be found in the larger institutions and industries. Their task was mainly to act as welfare officers seeing to the basic needs of employees such as accommodation, medical care or handouts from the welfare fund. Some crisis intervention counseling took place but with a lack of community resources, ongoing professional help was available only to the privileged few. Some industrial alcohol programs were successful but did not gain a strong foothold in the business sector.

The mid 80's saw the emergence of trade unions as a credible force. Workers were made aware of their rights to equal pay and equal opportunity forcing management to see their workforce as people with needs and aspirations similar to their own. It was during this time that employee assistance programs (EAPs) became established as an additional benefit for employees. Moving into an area where paternalism was a norm the struggle for an identity separate from that of management was, and still is, a major task of the EAP and occupational social workers.

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