Factors affecting the quality of work life of social workers in South Africa and the intervention roles of occupational social work

Abstract

This paper reviews the factors that impact social workers' quality of work life in South Africa. The importance of the involvement of  occupational social workers in the workplace is that they address personal and work-related matters that affect the psychosocial  functioning of employees, which results in affecting the overall functioning of organizations. The chosen methodology for this paper is a  thematic literature review, while role theory has been adopted as the theoretical framework for the paper. The discussions within the  reviewed literature reveal that factors such as a lack of self-care, unsupportive supervisors, inadequate salaries, and a lack of  opportunities for knowledge development significantly impact social workers' quality of work life. If these issues are not addressed, there  is no doubt that the quality of social work services to clients will suffer. As a result, this paper concludes by outlining various  intervention roles that occupational social workers can play within the workplace.