04/01/2026
SAMLU Raises Concerns Over Language Exclusion in Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs)
The South African Medical Laboratory Union (SAMLU) has expressed growing concern regarding a recurring problem within laboratories and healthcare companies: the failure to provide Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) services in the employee’s chosen native language despite employees explicitly indicating their language preference on official EAP intake forms.
Across South African workplaces, employees are encouraged to utilise the EAP for social, personal, and psychological challenges.
These support services are intended to create a safe, confidential, and culturally sensitive environment. However, many workers report that, after selecting their preferred language for counselling or social work support, they are referred to external service providers who engage only in English, regardless of the employee’s stated linguistic needs.
This practice not only undermines employee trust in the EAP system but also compromises the quality and effectiveness of the counselling process. Mental health and social challenges require clear expression, emotional nuance, and accurate explanation. When a worker must communicate in a non-native language, important details may be lost, misinterpreted, or left unspoken ultimately weakening the very purpose of the Employee Assistance Programme.
A Systemic Gap in Service Provider Diversity
SAMLU notes that many laboratories and medical institutions rely on single EAP service providers who do not offer multilingual capacity. In a country with 11 official languages, this results in service gaps that disproportionately exclude workers who prefer to speak in isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sesotho, Sepedi, Setswana, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, or other indigenous languages when discussing sensitive personal issues.
If a company’s contracted EAP provider cannot deliver services in the languages requested by employees, SAMLU argues that the employer has a responsibility to
