Labour

DYK – Domestic Workers Are Now Covered By The Compensation For Occupational Injuries And Diseases Act 130 Of 1993 (COIDA)?

DYK – Domestic Workers Are Now Covered By The Compensation For Occupational Injuries And Diseases Act 130 Of 1993 (COIDA)?

A domestic worker, in terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, is defined as any employee who performs domestic work in their employer’s home. This includes gardeners, a person employed as a driver and or a person who takes care of children, the aged, frail or the disabled. In a landmark decision, the Constitutional Court in Mahlangu and Another v Minister of Labour and Others 2020, ZACC 24, declared the exclusion of domestic workers under COIDA as unconstitutional. This finding has...

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How Much Annual Leave Are Employees Allowed To Accumulate?

How Much Annual Leave Are Employees Allowed To Accumulate?

Annual leave and its accrual thereof has always been subject to misunderstanding and controversy. Employers in the past have allowed staff to accrue an indefinite amount of leave. In some instances, employers allowed employees to sell leave days as same may have benefited the business. The differing views and the application of the provisions in the Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997 has lead us to answer the question mentioned above: how much annual leave is an employee allowed to...

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DYK – Small Businesses Can Make Family Responsibility Leave Part Of Annual Leave?

DYK – Small Businesses Can Make Family Responsibility Leave Part Of Annual Leave?

Few employers are aware of a Ministerial Determination made in 1999, which relaxes some of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act provisions for small businesses. One of these concessions is regarding Family Responsibility Leave. Usually, an employee who works over four months for an employer and works for more than four  days a week is entitled to three (3) days paid leave per year for the illness of a child or in the event of the death of the employee’s spouse, life partner, parent,...

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Episode 134: Employment Contracts In The Workplace. Why Do We Need Them?

Episode 134: Employment Contracts In The Workplace. Why Do We Need Them?

SEESA Labour Legal Advisors,  Arhana Ramdhew and Trishan Bisnath discuss the importance of an employment contract in the workplace. They explain the formal requirements when drafting contracts and the risks of not implementing employment contracts in the workplace.  Click on the "play" button below to listen to our podcast! Should you require advice or assistance on how to draft and implement contracts in your workplace, please get in touch with your nearest SEESA office....

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Overtime Work: Is It Voluntary Or Not?

Overtime Work: Is It Voluntary Or Not?

Chapter two of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act regulates working hours and overtime. The regulations do not apply to the following: Senior managerial employees;Employees engaged as sales staff who travel to the premises of customers and who regulate their own hours of work;Employees who work less than 24 hours a month for an employer. Every employer in South Africa must regulate the working time of each employee; Under the provisions of any Act governing occupational health and...

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Can An Employee Take Annual Leave During Any Period Of Notice Of Termination Of Employment?

Can An Employee Take Annual Leave During Any Period Of Notice Of Termination Of Employment?

In terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), any party to an employment contract must give notice of termination. The notice period is determined by the employment period, for example: One week, if employed for six months or less;Two weeks, if employed for over six months but less than one year;Four weeks, if employed for one year or more;Four weeks, if the employee is a farm worker or a domestic worker who has been employed for over six months. What happens when an employee has...

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Maternity Leave And Miscarriage.

Maternity Leave And Miscarriage.

Sadly, some pregnancies end in miscarriages or stillbirths.  Employers are often confused about how to assist employees who suffer a miscarriage and are unsure what leave these employees would be entitled to. The Basic Conditions of Employment Act Section 25 deals with Maternity leave and stipulates as follows: An employee is entitled to at least four consecutive months' maternity leave, normally unpaid and claimed from UIF, unless there is an agreement for paid leave in place. They may...

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Episode 133: What Constitutes Retirement Age, And When Does A Contract Of Employment Terminate Due To Retirement Age?

Episode 133: What Constitutes Retirement Age, And When Does A Contract Of Employment Terminate Due To Retirement Age?

SEESA Legal Advisors, Kopano Moloto and Natan Dzombeni discuss how an employer should handle the termination of an employee due to retirement age. They also focus on how retirement age is determined and alternative manners of termination if there is no agreement or contract stipulating the prescribed retirement age. Click on the "play" button below to listen to our podcast! Want to know more about Retirement Age and contracts? Contact your nearest SEESA office or Legal Advisor. Alternatively,...

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Are You Obliged To Remunerate Staff During Eskom Load Shedding?

Are You Obliged To Remunerate Staff During Eskom Load Shedding?

The answer is yes. With the current energy crises becoming the new reality in South Africa for the foreseeable future, employers must proceed with caution. There is a common misconception that the principle of “no work, no pay” applies during power cuts. Notwithstanding the reciprocal nature of the employment relationship where an employee provides a service to their employers, the employer, in turn, must remunerate staff for the period. To mitigate the adverse effects of Load Shedding,...

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Predetermining Who Will Be Retrenched, Not Always Wrong.

Predetermining Who Will Be Retrenched, Not Always Wrong.

Many employers face the reality of inevitably having to consider retrenchment. Employers see the changing requirement of the company and realise they might need to retrench, but for several reasons, they prolong the decision to start the consultations with affected employees. Reasons may include: Employers hoping the business would turn around, for example, an employer who has given out several large quotations and hope for them to be accepted;Employers do not want to scare employees and risk...

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