On 25 March 1976 the social ('sheltered') workshops 'Meer en Bosch' (at Heemstede) and 'Cruquiushoeve' (at Vijfhuizen) of the 'Society for Revalidation and Employment of Epileptics' were re-opened, on the occasion of which a symposium was held on 'Work as a means to reintegration of epileptics'. This article was one of the speeches delivered at the symposium. It explains the effect of work on resocialization. An epileptic will need treatment all his life. This affects the way the patient experiences his own identity. Work is one of the things which gives meaning to life. So work should be included in the plan of treatment for an epileptic. This plan is subdivided into three important parts: medical, social and occupational. Paid employement is hard to find nowadays so unpaid work will have to be provided. This can be done by the social ('sheltered') workshops. For each patient an individual plan of treatment will have to be put down which can be evaluated when the patient is going to be discharged.