CCMA rules to reinstate employee dismissed for absence without permission
The CCMA recently reinstated an employee who took leave without permission during the Covid-19 lockdown, in a ruling which delivers an important lesson for other employers. (To [more...]
Accidentally overpaid an employee? Here’s what to do…
It's month-end. Your employee gets a notification on their phone that their salary has cleared into their bank account. Jackpot! They've received more than what is due [more...]
Labour Court grants FEDHASA urgent interdict opposing extension of Bargaining Council Collective Agreement to non-parties
FEDHASA together with the Restaurant Collective, representing an alliance of hospitality stakeholders, including all the major brands and quick service restaurants in South Africa, was today granted [more...]
The Protection of Whistle Blowers
It is not often that we hear of an employee reporting misconduct in the workplace to his employer. This is because the employee is not certain whether [more...]
Unions will ask for CPI plus 4% in 2021 public sector wage talks
BL Premium reports that public sector unions are in line for another wage battle with government as they will be asking for an increase well above inflation in [more...]
New restaurant pay rules
While the pandemic has brought its fair share of challenges to each one of us, the food services industry has felt its effects more gravely than most. [more...]
DEL highlights UIF reduced work time benefit
The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) will continue to provide financial relief through the already existing Short Term/Reduced Work Time Benefit. The employment and labour department confirmed this in a statement [more...]
How and when to suspend employees
Employers are often faced with situations where a decision must be taken whether an employee that was allegedly involved in misconduct should be suspended or not. Item [more...]
TERS payments extended, only certain industries may claim
In 2020, the government introduced a C-19 TERS benefit (Covid-19 Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme). This benefit, which was introduced to bring relief during the Covid-19 lockdown, enabled [more...]
A new employee earnings threshold has been issued. What does this mean for employees?
Introduction Most people, from my own personal interactions with them, are not aware of the earnings thresholds nor do they know what an earning threshold is and [more...]
Rules in the Workplace and the Consistent Application thereof
Rules regulating conduct in the workplace flow from a number of sources. Some emanate from the common law, for example, that an employee may not steal from [more...]
Unpacking sexual harassment in the workplace
Sexual harassment, a violation of human rights and a form of sex discrimination, is costly to employees in the workplace. Although many countries have legislation governing sexual [more...]
This is the new minimum wage for South Africa
Labour minister Thulas Nxesi has published the new minimum wage for South Africa. In a gazette published on Monday evening (8 February), the minister said that the [more...]
Let’s get constructive about constructive dismissal – you can still be fired
Very few workplace issues elicit as firmly held views or fears as the topic of constructive dismissal. Whether it is a manager, fearful of doing something wrong [more...]
Lockout vs suspended strike: Can replacement labour be used?
Whether replacement labour may be used where an employer has instituted a lockout in response to a strike which has subsequently been suspended by the trade union [more...]
This South African employee was fired for not coming in to work during lockdown – here’s what happened
A laboratory analyst fired for putting her family’s safety first and refusing to work during the Covid-19 level five lockdown has been reinstated. The Commission for Conciliation, [more...]
BEE must be used in South Africa’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout: business group
While the Covid-19 pandemic is an unfortunate and unprecedented global disaster, it has also brought business opportunities as we have already witnessed with the procurement of Personal [more...]
Hours of Work and Overtime
Working time including overtime is regulated by the Basic Conditions of Employment Act in Chapter two. Chapter two of the Act is however not applicable to the [more...]
