Exploring perceptions of employees of the University of KwaZulu-Natal towards the Employee Assistance Programme.

Abstract

The EAP field is emerging; hence, not much research has been conducted at institutions of higher learning, particularly at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. In a broader context, the EAP is a fairly new field in South Africa, as Terblanche (2018) reported that the concept of the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) was primarily introduced in South Africa in the early 1980s. The field has been refined over the years; however, there is still limited research and literature. The motivation for this study stemmed from the researcher’s observations of being employed as a social worker at the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA), a non-profit organisation in Durban. The researcher observed that from 2019 – 2022, there was a considerable number of clients from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and other surrounding institutions seeking SANCA services for either themselves or their significant others. Unexpectedly, most of the clients were not referred to by their in-house EAP. Out of curiosity, the researcher became motivated to explore the reasons why the employees at UKZN opted for self-referrals and not via their respective EAP programmes. Through this research, the study aimed to explore the perceptions of the employees of the University of KwaZulu-Natal regarding the employee assistance programmes, specifically focusing on the Howard Campus in Durban. The objectives of the study were to explore employees’ awareness of the UKZN Employee Assistance Programmes, to explore employees’ perceptions of the EAPs available at UKZN, to explore employees’ attitudes towards EAPs, to explore employees’ willingness to use in-house EAPs and to ascertain the accessibility of the EAP service The study was conducted at the Howard campus only due to accessibility. The study was advertised through the University of KwaZulu- Natal electronic notice system. The research approach adopted for this study was qualitative, employing the exploratory research design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 13 employees from the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Howard Campus in Durban. It is important to note that participation in the study was voluntary, and no employees were coerced into taking part in the interviews. During the interviews, participants were encouraged to share their experiences and understanding of various aspects related to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). Specifically, participants were asked about their awareness of the EAP, their perceptions of its functioning, their willingness to utilise the programme, and their experiences regarding its accessibility. The use of semi-structured interviews allowed for flexibility in the interview process, enabling participants to elaborate on their responses and provide rich, detailed insights into their perceptions and experiences with the EAP. A theoretical background detailing the Employee Assistance Programme was provided through literature. In the literature, the goals, objectives and intentions of EAP were discussed. The study further detailed existing legislation guiding the EAP in South Africa. The aspects of EAP which are critical for EAP effectiveness were also explored and discussed. These include the purpose of the EAP, accessibility of the EAP, and roles of EAP as per EAP core technologies. The findings were presented through in-depth analysis and interpretation through a detailed report in accordance with the five objectives of the study. The study generally found that participants shared that they have a limited awareness of the available EAP service at the university of KwaZulu-Natal. Secondly, most participants reported that they perceived the EAP as a mental health and counselling service only and had limited information about other services offered by the EAP. Thirdly, some participants indicated that they prefer to utilise external private services compared to their EAP service because they prefer to maintain privacy in the workplace. However, other participants expressed a positive willingness to utilise the EAP service, which provided improvements in marketing and visibility. Furthermore, there were participants who expressed reluctance to use the service due to concerns about confidentiality and protection of privacy. Lastly, most participants indicated that they were unaware of the physical location of the EAP office. Participants raised concerns about accessibility of the EAP programme. Based on the findings of the study, conclusions and recommendations were made regarding the improvement of the EAP at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The recommendations were divided into two categories, namely, recommendations for practice and recommendations for future research. The recommendations to improve practice include conducting educational initiatives to improve the general awareness of the EAP and service provisions. Secondly, improving marketing and visibility strategies are recommended in order to include those who do not have access to the university’s virtual advertising platform. Finally, it was recommended that employees be reassured about confidentiality and privacy through training and seminars in order to encourage them to utilise the service in confidence.