A written workplace policy
Covering alcohol and drug use expectations, testing procedures, and disciplinary consequences.
Workplace Compliance & Employee Wellbeing
Employee Assistance Programme for South African Workplaces
SANS 16001 Aligned · POPIA Compliant · SANAS Accredited
TestWise provides an integrated EAP that combines SANAS-accredited drug and alcohol testing with professional mental health assessments, recovery coaching, and confidential employee support — all under one provider, built to meet South African legislative requirements.
Compliant with
SANS 16001
POPIA
SANAS Accredited
OHS Act
SANS 16001
Mandatory EAP Requirement
South African law requires an EAP component before disciplinary action can follow a positive test.
1 in 4
Employees Affected
Research shows 1 in 4 South African employees is affected by substance use issues at some point in their career.
12 months
Structured Recovery
Our MindWise recovery coaching programme runs for 12 months — longer than most EAP providers offer.
Understanding EAPs
What is an Employee Assistance Programme?
Direct Answer
An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is a structured workplace benefit that provides employees with confidential support for personal problems — including substance use, mental health challenges, relationship difficulties, and work-related stress — that may affect their job performance or wellbeing. In South Africa, SANS 16001 requires organisations to include an EAP as part of their workplace drug and alcohol management policy.
Most EAP providers offer a helpline and three counselling sessions. TestWise takes a different approach: we embed EAP into a complete compliance and support framework that includes accredited testing, professional assessments, structured recovery, and ongoing monitoring — giving HR teams defensible documentation and employees a genuine path forward.
Whether you need a full turnkey EAP, a testing-only programme, or something in between, TestWise structures each engagement around your workforce size, risk profile, and budget.
Discuss Your RequirementsWhether you need a full turnkey EAP, a testing-only programme, or something in between, TestWise structures each engagement around your workforce size, risk profile, and budget.
An employee assistance component
Employees must be offered access to an EAP before disciplinary action can proceed after a positive test.
Accredited testing methods
Drug and alcohol testing must be conducted using validated methods by qualified personnel.
Confidentiality protections
All testing results and EAP participation must be handled under defined confidentiality protocols.
Training & awareness
Managers and employees must receive education on the policy, signs of impairment, and how to access support.
What SANS 16001 requires
What's Included
Everything your EAP needs — under one provider
TestWise combines legally-required testing with genuine employee support — so you're not just ticking a compliance box.
Workplace Drug & Alcohol Testing
SANAS-accredited urine, saliva, hair follicle, and breathalyser testing conducted by qualified practitioners. Defensible, chain-of-custody compliant, and suitable for pre-employment, random, and post-incident screening.
Testing methodsUrine drug screenSaliva / oral fluidBreath alcoholHair follicleMental Health & Addiction Assessments
Professional assessments that evaluate substance use risk, co-occurring mental health factors, and personal circumstances — providing HR teams with clear, actionable recommendations and employees with a personalised support plan.
Assessment scopeSubstance use severityRisk classificationMental health screeningReferral recommendationsMindWise Recovery & Support Programme
Our dedicated mental health and addiction support programme — including 12-month recovery coaching with randomised monitoring, outpatient treatment, individual and family counselling, and awareness campaigns.
Programme componentsRecovery coachRandomised monitoringOutpatient treatmentFamily CounsellingPolicy Development & Review
A compliant workplace drug and alcohol policy is the foundation of your EAP. TestWise develops or reviews your existing policy against SANS 16001 requirements, ensuring it is legally defensible, fair, and operationally practical.
DeliverablesGap analysisPolicy draftingHR review supportManager & Employee Training
SANS 16001 requires that managers and employees receive training on the workplace policy. TestWise delivers awareness sessions that cover signs of impairment, policy obligations, and how to access the EAP confidentially.
Training topicsPolicy awarenessSigns of impairmentEAP access proceduresStigma reductionCompliance Documentation & Reporting
From chain-of-custody testing records to monthly EAP usage reports, TestWise provides the documentation your HR team, occupational health officer, and legal counsel need — without disclosing individual confidentiality.
Documentation providedTest recordsEAP utilisation reportsAudit-ready files
Why TestWise?
More than a tick-box EAP
Most EAPs stop at the referral. TestWise stays with your employees through the entire journey.
Generic EAP provider
Helpline and 3–5 counselling sessions — then you're on your own
No drug or alcohol testing capability
No formal assessment — referrals made without professional evaluation
Limited SANS 16001 alignment — often missing policy or training requirements
No structured recovery monitoring or long-term follow-up
TestWise EAP
12-month structured recovery coaching with weekly sessions and randomised monitoring
SANAS-accredited drug and alcohol testing included under the same EAP umbrella
Qualified assessments that evaluate risk, mental health, and co-occurring factors before referral
Full SANS 16001 alignment — policy, training, testing, EAP, and documentation in one engagement
Outpatient treatment, family counselling, and aftercare for employees who need deeper support
How It Works
From onboarding to ongoing support
Getting your EAP in place is straightforward. Here's what engagement with TestWise looks like.
Initial consultation & needs assessment
We meet with your HR team or occupational health officer to understand your workforce size, risk profile, existing policies, and what's already in place. This shapes the scope and pricing of your EAP.
Policy review or development
If you have an existing drug and alcohol policy, we review it against SANS 16001. If not, we develop one for you — covering testing, EAP access, confidentiality, and disciplinary procedures.
Manager and employee training
We run awareness sessions for managers (how to identify signs of impairment and initiate the EAP process) and for employees (what the policy means for them, how the EAP works, and why it's confidential).
Testing programme setup
We configure your testing schedule — pre-employment, random, reasonable suspicion, or post-incident — and ensure collection, chain-of-custody, and laboratory analysis procedures are in place and documented.
Employee access to MindWise support
Employees are informed of how to access MindWise confidentially. Referrals — whether self-initiated or manager-initiated post-positive-test — are handled professionally and without unnecessary disclosure.
Ongoing reporting & compliance review
You receive regular reporting on testing and EAP utilisation — presented in aggregate, with individual confidentiality protected. We review your programme annually to ensure continued SANS 16001 alignment.
Included in your EAP
MindWise: the recovery and support arm
of your EAP
MindWise is TestWise’s dedicated mental health and addiction support programme — covering awareness campaigns, professional assessments, 12-month recovery coaching with randomised drug monitoring, outpatient treatment, and family counselling. It’s the employee-facing side of your EAP, designed to produce real outcomes rather than a paper trail.
FAQ
Questions about EAPs in South Africa
Answers structured for clarity — and for the search engines and AI tools your HR team uses to research EAP options.
An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is a structured workplace benefit that provides employees with confidential support for personal problems — including substance use, mental health challenges, relationship difficulties, and work-related stress — that may affect their job performance or wellbeing. In South Africa, SANS 16001 requires organisations to include an EAP component in their workplace drug and alcohol management policy.
Yes. SANS 16001 — the South African standard for workplace alcohol and drug management — requires organisations to have a policy that includes an employee assistance component. This means employees who test positive or disclose a substance use problem must be offered access to an EAP before any disciplinary action can proceed. Without this, your testing programme may not be legally defensible.
The TestWise EAP combines SANAS-accredited drug and alcohol testing, professional mental health and addiction assessments, recovery coaching and monitoring (the MindWise programme), policy development, manager and employee training, and ongoing compliance documentation — all under one provider. You can engage the full suite or select the components you need.
All EAP services are delivered under strict POPIA-aligned confidentiality protocols. Individual session content, assessment outcomes, and personal disclosures are never shared with the employer without the employee’s explicit written consent. Employers receive only aggregate or agreed reporting — for example, number of referrals in a period, not who was referred or why.
All EAP services are delivered under strict POPIA-aligned confidentiality protocols. Individual session content, assessment outcomes, and personal disclosures are never shared with the employer without the employee’s explicit written consent. Employers receive only aggregate or agreed reporting — for example, number of referrals in a period, not who was referred or why.
EAP costs vary based on workforce size, service scope, whether testing is included, and the level of ongoing support required. TestWise structures pricing per engagement — contact us for a quote specific to your organisation. We work with businesses of all sizes, from small teams to large industrial workforces.
Yes. TestWise operates across South Africa. Testing can be conducted on-site at your premises, and MindWise counselling and coaching services are available virtually nationwide. Contact us to confirm on-site availability in your specific location.
Get Started
Ready to implement a compliant, effective EAP?
Speak to our team about your organisation's requirements. We'll propose a structured EAP that meets SANS 16001, supports your employees, and fits your budget — with no unnecessary complexity.
All enquiries are handled confidentially. TestWise does not share contact details with third parties.