Years back, during my 3rd year with SEESA, I was confronted with the following facts during a Disciplinary hearing. The barman at the hotel consumed alcohol whilst on duty that belonged to the company. I immediately thought, after listening to the employer’s statement along with the evidence submitted, that this would justify a dismissal. The employee, however, presented his case, and it was discovered that the employee was a recovered alcoholic who has been sober for 18 years (The company was...

According to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, as amended, employees are entitled to 10 consecutive days of Parental Leave for the birth of a child or upon an adoption order being granted. Previously employees were entitled to claim three days of Family Responsibility leave which they could use for a birth of a child. However, now employees are entitled to ten consecutive days of Parental Leave. These ten days of Parental Leave will be unpaid, and the employee will be entitled to claim...

The Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 sets out the guidelines in the Code of Good Practice on the handling of sexual harassment cases. The object of the code is to eliminate sexual harassment in the workplace, and it provides appropriate procedures to deal with the problem and prevent a recurrence. Sexual harassment can be defined as any unwanted conduct of a sexual nature. For example, sexual attention becomes sexual harassment if: a) The behaviour is persisted in, although a single incident of...