The research was conducted to evaluate the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) of Sasol Nitro, Ekandustria. The researcher used questionnaires to collect information from the managers, supervisors, and employees. The information collected from all respondents indicated that the structure responsible for evaluating the EAP is not representative. The information also indicated that the EAP is appropriate and a better option to assist the employees with addressing their problems which impact on their job performance negatively. The employees are informed about the programme, while managers and supervisors are skilled on EAP procedures. The programme was utilized by the employees and this improved their job performance. The model adopted is rated poor by employees in terms of confidentiality and accessibility. Finally, it is concluded that the EAP is utilized and, therefore, the programme improved the employees’ job performance at Sasol. / Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

Text in Afrikaans / The purpose of the research was to determine the extent to which health issues, and particularly work stress, are managed at a welfare organization. The group investigated consisted of 49 registered social workers employed at nine welfare organizations in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. The research process was directed by quantitative research, the research information being obtained through a literature study and structured questionnaire. A number of health issues were identified in the workplace. Based on the empirical investigation it was concluded that health management does not enjoy a high priority at welfare organisations. The health issues that have the most impact on the respondents' work ability are work stress and burnout. It is recommended that organisations compile a holistic policy for health management. There is a need for implementation of employee assistance and wellness programmes for health management. Such programmes promote the productivity and general wellbeing of social workers. / Die doel van die navorsingstudie was om te bepaal tot watter mate gesondheidskwessies, in die besonder werkstres, by 'n welsynsorganisasie bestuur word. Die ondersoekgroep het bestaan uit 49 geregistreerde maatskaplike werkers werksaam by nege welsynsorganisasies in die Nelson Mandela Metropool. Die navorsingsproses is deur kwantitatiewe navorsing gerig en die navorsingsinligting is met behulp van 'n literatuurstudie en gestruktureerde vraelys bekom. Daar word tans 'n aantal gesondheidskwessies in die werkplek geidentifiseer. Na aanleiding van die empiriese ondersoek is daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat gesondheidbestuur nie 'n hoe prioriteit geniet by welsynsorgnisasies nie. Die gesondheidskwessies wat die mees beduidende impak op die respondente se werkvermoe het, is werkstres en uitbranding. Daar word aanbeveel dat organisasies 'n holistiese beleid ten opsigte van gesondheidsbestuur opstel. Daar is 'n behoefie aan die implementering van werknemerhulp- en werknemerwelstandprogramme vir gesondheidsbestuur omdat sulke programme die produktiwiteit en algemene welstand van maatskaplike werkers kan bevorder. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Social Work)

Text in Afrikaans / The purpose of the research was to determine the extent to which health issues, and particularly work stress, are managed at a welfare organization. The group investigated consisted of 49 registered social workers employed at nine welfare organizations in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. The research process was directed by quantitative research, the research information being obtained through a literature study and structured questionnaire. A number of health issues were identified in the workplace. Based on the empirical investigation it was concluded that health management does not enjoy a high priority at welfare organisations. The health issues that have the most impact on the respondents' work ability are work stress and burnout. It is recommended that organisations compile a holistic policy for health management. There is a need for implementation of employee assistance and wellness programmes for health management. Such programmes promote the productivity and general wellbeing of social workers. / Die doel van die navorsingstudie was om te bepaal tot watter mate gesondheidskwessies, in die besonder werkstres, by 'n welsynsorganisasie bestuur word. Die ondersoekgroep het bestaan uit 49 geregistreerde maatskaplike werkers werksaam by nege welsynsorganisasies in die Nelson Mandela Metropool. Die navorsingsproses is deur kwantitatiewe navorsing gerig en die navorsingsinligting is met behulp van 'n literatuurstudie en gestruktureerde vraelys bekom. Daar word tans 'n aantal gesondheidskwessies in die werkplek geidentifiseer. Na aanleiding van die empiriese ondersoek is daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat gesondheidbestuur nie 'n hoe prioriteit geniet by welsynsorgnisasies nie. Die gesondheidskwessies wat die mees beduidende impak op die respondente se werkvermoe het, is werkstres en uitbranding. Daar word aanbeveel dat organisasies 'n holistiese beleid ten opsigte van gesondheidsbestuur opstel. Daar is 'n behoefie aan die implementering van werknemerhulp- en werknemerwelstandprogramme vir gesondheidsbestuur omdat sulke programme die produktiwiteit en algemene welstand van maatskaplike werkers kan bevorder. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Social Work)

AFRIKAANS : In hierdie studie is daar enersyds bepaal of daar spesifieke stressore aanwesig is wat tot werknemers van die betrokke tersiêre opleidingsinstelling se verhoogde stresvlakke en gepaardgaande siening van ‘n negatiewe gehalte van werklewe (GWL) bydra. Andersyds was die fokus op die effektiwiteit van die huidige Stresbeheerprogram (SBP), waar vasgestel is of deelname aan die spesifieke program tot 'n beter en meer positiewe ervaring in die werknemer se GWL bydra. Die studie het uitgebreide teoretiese perspektiewe op die gehalte van werk, stres, welstand en intervensies in die werkplek voorsien. Vanuit die literstuurstudie in gemelde hoofstukke 2, 3, 4 en 5 blyk dit duidelik dat verandering in die werksomgewing en die gevolglike stres wat dit meebring op die werknemer se belewenis van welstand en gehalte van werklewe impakteer, en dat die werknemer se reaksie op beide voorafgaande die deurslaggewende faktor in die bereiking van gesondheid en welstand is. Werkgewers het die verantwoordelikheid om ‘n gelukkige werkplek te vestig deur die benutting van intervensieprogramme ten einde werknemers in staat te stel om eienaarskap van hul lewens te aanvaar in die bereiking van optimale gesondheid en welstand. Die literatuurstudie is opgevolg deur ‘n empiriese ondersoek waartydens evaluatiewe navorsing benut is. Die kwantitatief-kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenaderings met fokus op Creswell se ‘dominant- less-dominant’ model is gebruik, waar die kwantitatiewe fases as oorheersende paradigma gebruik is. Die kwantitatiewe beskrywende opname-ontwerp se ewekansige kruisseksie-opname is benut om ondersoek in te stel na die aard, omvang en impak van stres op die GWL van werknemers aan die betrokke tersiêre opleidingsinstelling. Die aangepaste ‘ASSET’-posvraelys is aan respondente van die twee gekose fakulteite en respondente van die SBP voorsien. Die kwasieksperimentele navorsingsontwerp se een-groep voortoets-na-toets ontwerp en handafgelewerde vraelyste het gedien as tweede kwantitatiewe fase van die studie. Tydens fase drie, die kwalitatiewe fase, is die gevallestudie met fokus op kollektiewe gevallestudie as navorsingstrategie gevolg waartydens semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met ‘n onderhoudskedule gebruik is om addisionele inligting te bekom. Die belewenisse en behoeftes van die respondente, wat die SBP opleiding voltooi het, is bepaal ten einde sodanige belewenisse en behoeftes tydens die aanpassings van die SBP in ag te neem. Die gestruktureerde vraelyste, sowel as die semigestruktureerde onderhoude is as voor- en na-toets gebruik om die effektiwiteit en die benuttingswaarde van die huidige SBP te bepaal. Die keuse van die onderskeie benaderings, strategie en ontwerpe, wat tydens die navorsingsproses gevolg is, was relevant en suksesvol ten einde die geformuleerde probleem aan te spreek, die navorsingsvrae sinvol te beantwoord, en die hipotese te bevestig. Die navorser kon dus daarin slaag om, deur gebruikmaking van metodologiese triangulasie, die kwantitatiefkwalitatiewe benaderings te kombineer waartydens meervoudige metodes aangewend is om alle moontlike aspekte van dieselfde fenomeen te beskou en te vergelyk, en sodoende die geldigheid daarvan te verifieer. Gebaseer op bevindinge, kan die gevolgtrekking gemaak word dat stressore wel by werknemers van die betrokke tersiêre opleidingsinstelling aanwesig is, dat stres ‘n wesenlike impak op die GWL van werknemers het, en dat die huidige Stresbeheerprogram wel ‘n verbetering in die GWL van werknemers teweeggebring het. ENGLISH : On the one hand this study determines whether there are specific stressors present, which lead to higher stress levels and contribute to the accompanying negative quality of worklife perspective of employees at the relevant tertiary institution (QWL). On the other hand the focus is on the effectiveness of the current Stress Management Programme (SMP), in order to determine whether participation in this specific programme contributes to a better and more positive experience of the employee's QWL. This study provides extensive theoretic perspectives on the quality of work, stress, wellbeing and interventions in the workplace. From the literature review in Chapters 2, 3, 4 and 5, it is clear that change in the work environment, and the subsequent stress it imposes, impacts on the employee's experience of quality of worklife and wellbeing and the employee's reaction to both these is the decisive factor in reaching health and wellbeing in the workplace. Employers have the responsibility to establish a healthy workplace by utilising intervention programmes in order to enable employees to accept ownership of their lives in reaching optimum health and wellbeing. The literature review is followed by an empirical investigation during which evaluative research was utilised. The quantitative-qualitative research approaches, with focus on Creswell's ‘dominant-less-dominant’ model was used where the quantitative phases were used as the dominant paradigm. The quantitative descriptive design's random cross section is utilized to investigate the nature, extent and impact of stress on the QWL of employees at the relevant tertiary education institution. The adapted ‘ASSET’ mailed questionnaire was provided to respondents from two chosen faculties and respondents who participated in the SMP. The quasiexperimental research design's one-group pre-test / post-test design and hand-delivered questionnaires served as the second quantitative phase of this study. During the qualitative third phase, the case study, with focus on a collective case study as research strategy, was followed during which semi-structured interviews with an interview schedule were used to obtain additional information. The experiences and needs of respondents, who completed the SMP training, were determined in order to take into account these experiences and needs when the SMP is adapted. The structured questionnaires, as well as the semi-structured interviews were used as pre-test and post-test to determine the effectiveness and the utilization value of the current SMP. The choice of the different approaches, strategy and design which were followed during the research process, were relevant and successful in order to address the formulated problem, to provide a sensible answer to the research question, and to confirm the hypothesis. The researcher could therefore succeed to, by using methodological triangulation, combine the quantitative-qualitative approaches, during which multiple methods were applied to explore and compare all possible aspects of the same phenomenon and to subsequently verify the validity thereof. Based on findings, the following conclusion can be made: firstly, there are stressors present at the relevant tertiary education institution; secondly, stress has a substantial impact on the QWL of employees; and the current Stress Management Programme contributes to an improved QWL of employees. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

AFRIKAANS : Die navorsing is uitgevoer ten einde die aard en benutting van Personeelondersteuning- en Loopbaansentrum (POLS) se dienste aan die AID-personeel van die hoofkampus van UP, te verken en waar primêr gebruik gemaak was van ‘n kwantitatiewe navorsingsbenadering. Met die aanvang van die navorsingsprosedure was ‘n uitgebreide literatuurstudie oor verwante konsepte van WHPs en die universiteit as werkplek onderneem, gevolg deur empiriese navorsing deur die benutting van twee self-geadministreerde posvraelyste. Die eerste vraelys was aan geselekteerde AID-toesighouers en die tweede vraelys aan AID-werknemers ook geselekteer volgens die proporsioneel-gestratifiseerde steekproeftrekking, versprei. Daar was derhalwe deur middel van evaluerende navorsing ondersoek ingestel na werknemers en toesighouers se behoeftes en verwagtinge van die bestaande dienste, die mate van tevredenheid wat ervaar was en of hul deur die huidige dienste bereik word. Die behoefte aan ‘n volwaardige en gestruktureerde WHP vir UP was ook bepaal. Die studie het ‘n uitgebreide teoretiese deurskouing van die literatuur oor WHPs in die algemeen voorsien en aspekte soos die universiteit as werkplek, met spesifieke klem op die AID as werkplek, ondersoek en beskryf. Indien die literatuurstudie oor WHP in ag geneem word, blyk dit duidelik dat die dienste soos deur POLS gelewer, nie aan die standaarde en riglyne soos deur EAPA-SA gestel, voldoen nie. POLS voldoen op hierdie stadium ook nie aan ‘n tipiese WHP of Bedryfsmaatskaplike werk program nie, vanweë die lewering van beperkte dienste. Die literatuur het ook lig gewerp op die feit dat die WHP ten doel het om die organisasie se visie en missie te ondersteun. Die werksopset, organisasie dinamika en personeel diversiteit binne die Universiteit van Pretoria het dan ook aangedui dat die universiteit ‘n unieke werkgewer is en ook gebonde is tot die onderskrywing van verskeie wetgewing soos van toepassing op alle ander werkgewers. Die AID se missie, organisasiestruktuur, strategiese bestuur, fasiliteite en menslike hulpbronne dui daarop dat die AID nie van enige ander organisasie met betrekking tot werknemer en werkgewer verwagtinge verskil nie. Die literatuurstudie het aangedui dat die kern van WHPs gesetel is in ‘n doelgerigte en gestruktureerde program met die uitsluitlike doel om die werknemer se algehele maatskaplike funksionering te bevorder. Die empiriese navorsing het getoon dat POLS, as die Universiteit van Pretoria se hulpverleningsdiens, nie ten volle in die doel kon slaag nie. Die situasie kan grootliks toegeskryf word aan onkunde met betrekking tot POLS en gepaardgaande dienslewering asook die leemte aan doeltreffende bemarking deur POLS. Daar word derhalwe aanbeveel dat die Universiteit van Pretoria sterk oorweging skenk aan die ontwikkeling en implementering van ‘n volwaardige gestruktureerde werknemerhulpprogram, geskoei op die voorskrifte en beleid van EAPA-SA. ENGLISH : The research was performed to explore the nature and utilization of the Employee Assistance- and Career Centre's (EACC) services to the Academic Information Service (AIS) personnel on the main Campus of the University of Pretoria, and where a quantitative research approach was primarily used. With the commencement of the research procedure an extensive literature study about related concepts of EAP's and the University as a work place was undertaken, followed by empirical research through the usage of two self administered post questionnaires. The first questionnaire was sent to selected AIS-supervisors and the second questionnaire to the AIS-employees, also selected according to proportional stratified sampling procedure. An investigation was therefore done, through research evaluation, whether the employees and supervisors' needs and expectations of existing services, the extent of satisfaction experienced have been met and whether they are reached by the present services. The need for a full-fledged and structured EAP for UP was also determined. The study provided an extensive theoretical study of the literature on EAPs in general and surveyed and described aspects such as the university as work place, with specific emphasis on AIS as work place. Should the literature study on EAP be taken into account, it is evident that services provided by EACC, do not comply with standards and guidelines set by EAPA-SA. The EACC does not comply, at this stage, to a typical EAP or Occupational Social Work programme, because of the delivery of limited services. The literature also revealed the fact that EAPs purpose is to support the vision and mission of the organization. The work set-up, organization dynamics and personnel diversity with-in the University of Pretoria also indicated that the University is a unique employer who is also tied to the underwriting of several legislation applicable to all employers. The AIS's mission, organizational structure, strategical management, facilities and human resources, indicated that AIS do not differ from any other organization with regards to employee and employer expectations. The literature study indicated that the core of EAPs is settled in a purposeful and structured programme with the exclusive purpose to promote the employee's entire social well-being. The empirical study showed that the EACC, as employee assistance service of the University of Pretoria, could not reach the expected goals. This can be assigned to the lack of knowledge regarding EACC and their services, as well as the inefficient marketing by EACC. It is therefore recommended that the University of Pretoria should strongly consider a full-fledged Employee Assistance Programme based on the prescription and policies upheld by EAPA-SA. / Dissertation (MSD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

Text in Afrikaans / The purpose of this research study is to determine the extent to which employee assistance programmes can be utilised by welfare agencies to ensure that work-related and personal problems do not negatively influence the productivity of social workers. The group of respondents consisted of ten social work supervisors from ten different welfare agencies, which included civil sevice organisations, specialist organisations and family welfare organisations. The conclusion that was reached based on the findings of the empirical study is that social workers have a need for services that will prevent, relieve or eliminate their work-related and personal problems, in order to improve the productivity and general functioning of social workers. It is recommended that welfare agencies in accordence with their unique nature and functioning and the specific needs of the social workers, utilise employee assistance programmes so as to ensure optimal productivity of social workers / Die doel van die navorsingstudie is om te bepaal tot watter mate werknemerhulpprogramme deur welsynsinstansies aangewend kan word ten einde te verseker dat werkverwante en persoonlike probleme nie die produktiwiteit van maatskaplike werkers negatief beinvloed nie. Die ondersoekgroep het bestaan uit tien maatskaplikewerksupervisors van tien verskillende welsynsinstansies, te wete staatsdiensorganisasies, spesialiteitsorganisasies en gesinsorgorganisasies. Na aanleiding van die empiriese ondersoek is daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat maatskaplike werkers 'n behoefte aan dienste het wat hul werkverwante en persoonlike probleme voorkom, verlig of uit die weg ruim ten einde produktiwiteit en algemene funksionering van maatskaplike werkers te bevorder. Daar word aanbeveel dat welsynsinstansies, na gelang van hul unieke aard en funksionering en die spesifieke behoeftes van die maatskaplike werker, werknemerhulpprogramme sal aanwend ten einde optimale produktiwiteit van maatskaplike werkers te verseker. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Social Work)

Text in Afrikaans / The purpose of this research study is to determine the extent to which employee assistance programmes can be utilised by welfare agencies to ensure that work-related and personal problems do not negatively influence the productivity of social workers. The group of respondents consisted of ten social work supervisors from ten different welfare agencies, which included civil sevice organisations, specialist organisations and family welfare organisations. The conclusion that was reached based on the findings of the empirical study is that social workers have a need for services that will prevent, relieve or eliminate their work-related and personal problems, in order to improve the productivity and general functioning of social workers. It is recommended that welfare agencies in accordence with their unique nature and functioning and the specific needs of the social workers, utilise employee assistance programmes so as to ensure optimal productivity of social workers / Die doel van die navorsingstudie is om te bepaal tot watter mate werknemerhulpprogramme deur welsynsinstansies aangewend kan word ten einde te verseker dat werkverwante en persoonlike probleme nie die produktiwiteit van maatskaplike werkers negatief beinvloed nie. Die ondersoekgroep het bestaan uit tien maatskaplikewerksupervisors van tien verskillende welsynsinstansies, te wete staatsdiensorganisasies, spesialiteitsorganisasies en gesinsorgorganisasies. Na aanleiding van die empiriese ondersoek is daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat maatskaplike werkers 'n behoefte aan dienste het wat hul werkverwante en persoonlike probleme voorkom, verlig of uit die weg ruim ten einde produktiwiteit en algemene funksionering van maatskaplike werkers te bevorder. Daar word aanbeveel dat welsynsinstansies, na gelang van hul unieke aard en funksionering en die spesifieke behoeftes van die maatskaplike werker, werknemerhulpprogramme sal aanwend ten einde optimale produktiwiteit van maatskaplike werkers te verseker. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Social Work)