Responses of employees completing a career counseling program (n = 95) were collected to answer research questions about participant expectations and outcomes of the counseling program. The career counseling program was provided to management and non-management employees throughout the state of Indiana by an Indiana based communication company. During the first year, 202 employees completed the career counseling program. These employees were mailed a 19 item, researcher developed, survey instrument. The reported data were collected from 95 surveys (47%) that were returned.The purpose of the career counseling program was to assist current employees of the organization in establishing career and educational goals to better cope with a changing work environment. Research questions studied were (1) In what ways did the career counseling program help shape the career plans and goals of the participating employees, (2) In what ways were employees who completed career counseling making observable progress toward exploring and implementing career goals, (3) In what ways did career counseling successfully meet the initial counseling objectives of the participants, and (4) In what ways did the career counseling program meet the original expectations of the sponsoring organization.Response data indicated that meeting with trained career counselors and reviewing a LIFEPLAN career assessment instrument ranked as the top two activities helping to shape career plans and goals of program participants. Observable progress toward established goals was reported by 95% of the counseling participants enrolling in some type of educational program after completing the counseling program. Successful accomplishment of initial counseling objectives of the participants was reported by 73% of the counseling participants. They reported increased confidence in their career decisions and in their actions as a result of participating in the counseling program.Evidence from the data indicated that an individual meeting with a trained career counselor was the most often reported counseling activity assisting employees to better understand their career and educational goals. Data also indicated the career counseling program was meeting many of the initial counseling expectations reported by participating employees.Questions to be reviewed in future career counseling programs for employees are also presented. / Department of Educational Leadership

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1959. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-127).

The purpose of this study was to assess the needs of employees in regard to their Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) according to the program administrators' perspective. Information was collected from 62 program administrators within 54 organizations across Western Canada using a self-administered questionnaire. The 132-item questionnaire included demographic information and ten sections devoted to elicit administrators' perspectives on employees' needs (prevalence of problems, severity of problems, barriers to EAP utilization, program awareness, prevention programs, training and information for supervisors and union representatives, personal problems and the workplace, the role of the EAP in the workplace, the role of the EAP provider in the workplace, and a general overview). Results show that administrators perceive a greater prevalence and severity of problems than EAP utilization. There is also a perceived large EAP support among its participants (i.e., senior management, supervisors, union representatives, employees) as a relevant means to address employees' and their family members' problems. The outcome of the study indicates as well that personal and family members' problems affect employees and the workplace in a very significant way. Administrators believe that the EAP is a very important resource to deal with such problems. Additionally, results point out the important need for providing employees with information and prevention programs that may equip them with particular resources to address their problems before they affect them at work.

M.A. (Psychology) / The thesis was introduced by a description of the historical development of career counselling in South Africa, which indicated that the first traces of career counselling services were present at early times. The description also stressed the importance of career counselling especially during times of work shortage. Present day living costs and shortage of work emphasize the need for effective career counselling to ensure suitable career choices. Currently students are trained In career counselling and evaluated by supervisors without the existence of recognised and tested criteria. To ensure a higher standard of training and practice the implementation of such criteria is of utmost importance in the current developmental phase of career counselling in South Africa. The research aim of this study is the development and evaluation of criteria for effective diadic career counselling. The criteria were specifically designed for students in training and they should form part of the career counselling curriculum. In order to achieve the aim of the study, an integrated theoretical developmental research model was used. The model mainly consists of Thomas's (1984) four-phase model which features analysis, design, development and evaluation phases. Each of the phases contains a number of material conditions as well as methodologies through which these conditions can be met. In the first phase an analysis of the problem was undertaken, the status of existing criteria was investigated and a feasibility study was undertaken. It was then decided to proceed with the design phase. In this phase the following material conditions were met aims and objectives were formulated for the criteria, a practice model was drawn up, a tentative presentation was made of the innovation suggestions, and the innovation procedures were determined.

The purpose of this study was to assess the needs of employees in regard to their Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) according to the program administrators' perspective. Information was collected from 62 program administrators within 54 organizations across Western Canada using a self-administered questionnaire. The 132-item questionnaire included demographic information and ten sections devoted to elicit administrators' perspectives on employees' needs (prevalence of problems, severity of problems, barriers to EAP utilization, program awareness, prevention programs, training and information for supervisors and union representatives, personal problems and the workplace, the role of the EAP in the workplace, the role of the EAP provider in the workplace, and a general overview). Results show that administrators perceive a greater prevalence and severity of problems than EAP utilization. There is also a perceived large EAP support among its participants (i.e., senior management, supervisors, union representatives, employees) as a relevant means to address employees' and their family members' problems. The outcome of the study indicates as well that personal and family members' problems affect employees and the workplace in a very significant way. Administrators believe that the EAP is a very important resource to deal with such problems. Additionally, results point out the important need for providing employees with information and prevention programs that may equip them with particular resources to address their problems before they affect them at work. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

M. Tech. Human Resources Management / It is important to acknowledge that employees need to be physically and mentally healthy in order to be productive, thus boosting the profitability of the organisation. According to resources, employee assistance programmes have the potential of enhancing the profitability of the company by reducing absenteeism, staff turnover, tardiness, accidents and medical claims. The problem statement of this study involves the uncertainty about the perceptions of the employees in the coal mines within the Nkangala region about the outsourced employee assistance programmes. It is only one coal mining company and an Employee Assistance Programmes service provider that granted permission to conduct the research at their organisations. This research project aims to evaluate the perceptions of the employees of the coal mine within the Nkangala region in South Africa, about the outsourced employee assistance programmes. The objectives of the study are to determine if the perceptions of demographic groups differ and also to determine if there are relationships between the theoretically envisaged subscales or dimensions.

This investigation concerns the extent and nature of corporate preretirement planning programs in Dallas to ascertain employee access to retirement information and planning at the place of employment. Seven variables and their relationship to the existence of these programs are also studied. This study indicates that Dallas employees have limited access to retirement information through their employer. Existing programs often come too late for financial planning. Forty-nine of the 85 corporations have fewer than 1,000 employees, usually considered too few for a program. This study found that corporations with 5,000 or more employees may not have a program due to the nature of their business which necessitates dispersal of employees or requires younger employees with training in new technologies. The cost of a program was a deterrent for one corporation. Twelve respondents believe such programs are not the responsibility of business.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Occupational Social Work, August 2017 / Technology is ubiquitous and presents an opportunity for the psychosocial profession to explore and expand the platforms through which counselling and support for employees is offered. The aim of the research study was to explore the perceptions of counsellors regarding the use of online text technologies as a medium for intervention in the workplace environment. Mobile technology globally and in South Africa is growing rapidly, people are connected to information and services more than ever before. More services are being offered and marketed through the use of online technology mediums; these include professional services for mental wellbeing counselling support. Recognising that this is a relatively new field of study, it is valuable to gain insight from experienced counsellors regarding the use of online text based technologies for counselling specifically for workplace environments. Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) is used as a framework that it explains how the object of study being text based counselling technologies are used currently characterised by highly mobile social media use. This study employed a qualitative approach and was contextualised to a specific organisation, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) because it offers online counselling interventions which include specific programmes for workplace environments on mental health. Purposive sampling was used to select a total of eight counsellors with experience using online text based mediums and two key informants representing management of the organisation. Individual face-to-face interviews were conducted using two semi- structured interview schedules. Thematic content analysis was used for interpretation of the data. The findings show that counsellors do not prefer to use text based online counselling technologies for serious mental health issues. Results indicate that though online text based technologies are relevant as part of employee wellness services in the workplace, the platforms are more suitable for containment, information and referral purposes. Recommendations from the study are for further research to inform standards of practise and formalised and structured training is required for counsellors. / XL2018

Thesis (M.A. (Social Work)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / Social workers are working with vulnerable, marginalised and abused clients on a daily basis. Hence, Employee Assistance Programme services are vital to nurture the emotional well-being of employees. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of social workers regarding utilisation of Employee Assistance Programme services in the Greater Giyani Municipality of Limpopo Province. The objectives of the study were to determine social workers' awareness of Employee Assistance Programme services available to them and to establish factors that contribute to the utilisation of Employee Assistance Programme services. The study adopted a qualitative approach and used face-to-face interviews aided by a semi-structured interview schedule to collect data. Non-probability sampling and purposive sample technique were used to select the participants. Moreover, exploratory design was used as a blue print of the study to obtain insight about the perception of social workers of the utilisation of Employee Assistance Programme services. The researcher used thematic analysis to analyse and interpret data. The findings show that participants are not taking advantage of the available psychosocial services within the Department of Social Development. The study also found that participants had never used the EAP, despite the fact that the majority of them had felt the need to seek professional help at some point. Furthermore, participants do not believe in the credibility of the Employee Assistance Programme resulting in them not utilising the available services. Participants expressed concerns about confidentiality, a lack of office space, resources, and poor marketing. The study has concluded that social workers based at the Greater Giyani Municipality of Limpopo Province, have a negative perception regarding the use of EAP services, hence the programme is under-utilised.

Thesis (MPA (Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / 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. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Werkernemers, hetsy in die privaat of publieke sektor, is die waardevolste bate van die organisasie. Die menslike hulpbron komponent dra by tot die skepping van ʼn positiewe voorsprong vir daardie organisasie. Enige organisasie met hoë prestasiedoelwitte sal hul werknemers as hul waardevolste bate en die hoogste prioriteit behandel. Te veel organisasies belê steeds nie in die menslike sy van die organisasie nie, maar eerder in die tegniese sy wat meer finansiële beleggings oplewer. „n Organisasie wat kompeterend en toonaangewend wil bly, moet meer belê in die menslike sy. Deesdae besef al hoe meer organisasies dat hulle ʼn sosiale verantwoordelikheid teenoor hul werknemers het. Werkrnemers ervaar ʼn magdom persoonlike en werkverwante probleme soos byvoorbeeld huweliks-, gesins- en finansiële probleme, middelmisbruik sowel as die impak van HIV/VIGS, werkstres, uitbranding en ander. Hierdie probleme beiinvloed werksproduktiwiteit aansienlik, wat direk lei tot finansiële verliese vir die organisasie. Voorts word verdere druk op die werksgemeenskap geplaas deur regeringsbeleid te wete werksgelykheid en regstellende aksie wat ook aanleiding gee tot diversiteitsprobleme binne die werksplek. Teen hierdie agtergrond word werksorganisasies uitgedaag om sosiale verantwoordelikheid vir sy werknemers te aanvaar en om beter sorg te dra vir sy werknemers. Een manier waarop organisasies na hul werknemers kan omsien, is deur „n werknemerhulpprogram. ʼn Werknemerhulpprogram is ʼn diens wat verskaf word deur werkgewers aan werknemers wat probleme ondervind met byvoorbeeld gesondheid, huwelik, gesin, middelmisbruik en ander.. Dit is ʼn korttermyn, konfidensiële beradingsdiens vir werknemers wie se werkvermoë negatief beïnvloed word. ʼn Werknemerhulpprogram het ten doel om ʼn werknemer se totale welstand te verbeter. Kaapse Wynland Distriksmunisipaliteit (KWDM) het tans, nie ʼn formele struktuur soos „n werrknemerhulpprogram wat bystand aan die geaffekteerde werker kan bied nie. Hierdie navorsingstudie fokus op die vraag:”Is daar ʼn behoefte aan ʼn werknemerhulpprogram by KWDM”? Die data wat tydens die studie ingesamel is, toon dat daar wel ʼn behoefte aan ʼn Werknemerhulpprogram is. Gegrond op die uitkoms van die studie, word tien praktiese riglyne vir die implementering van 'n Werknemerhulpprogram aan die organisasie voorgestel.