Domestic workers and employers: The new injury and illness cover explained
“Domestic employees” are now covered under the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA) and will now be entitled for compensation from the Compensation Fund in the event they are injured or contract diseases while on duty. The new benefits Note: The benefits set out below are recorded in summary only and awards are […]
Depressed and dismissed – A hard lesson for a hard employer
A recent Labour Court decision shows how dangerous it is as an employer, when attempting to dismiss an employee, not to draw a clear distinction between misconduct and incapacity. Disciplined for depression An employee, whose track record had originally been an excellent one, was charged at a disciplinary enquiry with four charges of misconduct – […]
Employees be warned! A conflict of interest can get you dismissed
“Honesty is the best policy” (Benjamin Franklin) Employees have a general duty to act loyally, honestly and in their employers’ best interests, and amongst other things that entails avoiding any possible conflicts of interest. A recent Labour Court decision confirms that any breach of this duty risks dismissal. A long-service municipal employee dismissed An employee […]
WERKGEWERS: DIE VERSLAG INGEVOLGE DIE WET OP GELYKE INDIENSNEMING, DIE SPERDATUM EN DIE RISIKO VAN ‘N BOETE VAN R1, 5 MILJOEN
Aangewese werkgewers moet toesien dat hulle die voorgeskrewe verslae oor gelyke indiensneming betyds indien. Die boete vir eerste oortreders is R1,5 Miljoen of 2% van omset, watter bedrag ookal die grootste is. Die boetes vir herhalende oortreders spring sommer na R2,7 Miljoen of 10% van omset, watter bedrag ookal die grootste is. Met die uitsondering […]
EMPLOYERS: YOUR EE REPORT DEADLINE AND THE R1,5M FINE RISK
Failure by “designated” employers to lodge their employment equity reports on time risks severe penalties, with first offenders risking a fine of the greater of R1,5m or 2% of turnover (increasing to the greater of R2,7m or 10% of turnover for serial offenders). Lack of enforcement in the past (apart from a few high-profile exceptions) […]
SKULDBESLAGBEVELE: ‘N PRAKTIESE GIDS OOR DIE NUWE REËLS VIR WERKGEWERS, UITLENERS EN SKULDENAARS
“…die wetgewing oor die toestaan van skuldbeslagbevele is deur kredietverleners misbruik. Dit het aanleiding gegee tot geweldige druk en laste op die persone teen wie hierdie bevele toegestaan word.” (Vertaalde aanhaling uit die hofsaak wat hierin behandel word.) Die Grondwetlike Hof het onlangs uitspraak gegee in die saak wat oor skuldbeslagbevele handel. Hier is ‘n […]
GARNISHEE ORDERS: A 7-POINT PRACTICAL GUIDE TO NEW RULES FOR LENDERS, DEBTORS AND EMPLOYERS
“…the law regulating the granting of emoluments attachment orders was misapplied and abused by the credit providers. This caused enormous hardship to individuals against whom those orders were issued” (extract from judgment below) How does the Constitutional Court’s new ruling on garnishee orders (more properly referred to as EAOs or Emoluments Attachment Orders) affect you? […]
OP WATTER OUDERDOM GAAN JY AFTREE?
Dit is nooit ‘n aangename proses as ‘n werkgewer stappe teen werknemers moet neem nie. Werkgewers moet redelike stappe neem om te verhoed dat ‘n afdanking outomaties onbillik bevind word. Ons howe is beskermend teenoor werknemers, veral waar daar sprake van diskriminasie is. Ouderdomsverwante diskriminasie is ‘n vorm van diskriminasie soos enige ander. ‘n Werkgewer […]
BABY BOOMERS: AT WHAT AGE MUST YOU RETIRE?
Employers need to be particularly on their guard for cases in which a workplace dismissal is automatically unfair. Our courts take a particularly dim view of discrimination cases falling into this category. Age discrimination is one such instance, and an employer faced with such a claim can defend it only by proving (the onus is […]
PAIA MANUALS: ANOTHER LAST MINUTE EXTENSION
“Procrastination is the thief of time” (Edward Young, 18th c. poet) If your business is one of those (mostly smaller – see below) businesses temporarily exempted from lodging your PAIA manual until 31 December 2015, you will be happy to hear that the pressure is off for another 5 years, and that the turnover thresholds […]