Did You Know? – Your BEE certificate must be issued by a SANAS accredited verification agency in order to be valid
The South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) is the only national body responsible for carrying out accreditations in respect of conformity assessment, as a mandate through the Accreditation for Conformity Assessment, Calibration and Good Laboratory Practice Act (Act 19 of 2006) Apply for Accreditation. Accreditation is important because it helps determine if an institution meets or exceeds minimum quality standards. To become a Verification Agency, any enterprise (public and...
BEE Prepared And Start Your Planning Now
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” These eight words by Benjamin Franklin summarises the basic fundamentals of your BEE certificate. To be compliant, be it a level 1 or a level 8, you need to get your ducks in a row before the last day of your financial year. The Companies Act, in Section 30, demands the Annual Financial Statements of a company to follow its Financial Year-End. The Verification Manual prescribes the Audited Financial Statements to be used across the...
Episode 91: The Right To Fair, Just And Reasonable Terms And Conditions
SEESA Consumer Protection and POPI Legal Advisors, Meggan Watson and Sandrisha Govender discuss the right to fair, just and reasonable terms and conditions from the Consumer Protection Act. They focus on what constitutes unfair terms in consumer contracts, the responsibilities of the supplier with regard to these contracts and the remedies a consumer may have against a supplier in terms of the Act. Click play to listen to our podcast! Should you require further assistance or consumer-related...
How Quickly Can I Get My B-BBEE Certificate?
With our world as we know it being forced to move over to remote or electronic means of conducting and continuing with business over the last eighteen months, it is evident that the world has also subsequently become expectant of absolutely everything else to happen quicker as well. This is a blessing and a curse for most companies as some processes are sped up when we can find an alternative electronic means of conducting the same process rather than doing so manually. Should we...
FAQ – How to deal with employees sleeping on duty.
Sleeping on duty may either occur unintentionally where an employee drowses or dozes off due to sedative medication or long hours of sitting. However, sleeping on duty may also occur intentionally where an employee went to hide away or re-arranged chairs in order to make a temporary bed. Employers are always urged to have a policy in place that addresses sleeping on duty and applying progressive discipline as far as possible. If an employer has a suspicion that an employee is...
Did you know? – You can appeal a denied TERS claim?
Many employers received error messages when attempting to lodge a sector-based claim for their employees. This was mainly because the sector selected did not match the SARS database. An employer/user can now lodge an appeal to the UIF Call Centre: The caller will be subjected to an authentication process;A link will be sent to the caller to upload documents (Appeal form& supporting documents)only this link will allow submission to the UIF;This will then be transferred to UIF; A...
Disciplinary Codes Are A Vital Tool For Employers
A Disciplinary Code is an internal document that the employer of the business drafts. The rules of conduct are underlined in this document, and the suggested penalties for contravening these rules are listed. Schedule 8 of the Labour Relations Act deals with disciplinary rules and procedures. Schedule 8 section 3 (1) states that: “All employers should adopt disciplinary rules that establish the standard of conduct required of their employees. The form and content of disciplinary rules will...
Can One Dismiss An Employee For Informing Someone That Their Employer Is Showing Symptoms Of COVID-19?
When an employee signs their employment contract, there is often a confidentiality clause which states that the employee will refrain from disclosing any confidential information to any third party whilst in employment with their employer and after termination, unless the employer agrees to disclose such information with the employee. Should the employee breach this clause, it possibly may lead to disciplinary action against the employee. But what happens when an employee informs the...
FAQ – Can a consumer cancel his fix-term agreement before the expiry date?
Any fix-term contract can be cancelled by giving 20 business days’ notice for cancellation. In certain instances, the supplier is also allowed to charge a reasonable cancellation fee or penalty charge. Section 14 allows for the cancellation of a fix-term contract. However, it is essential to note that Section 14 does not apply to a consumer agreement between two juristic persons. So it has to be between a juristic person and a natural person. How are these penalties calculated? Section 14...
An important change took place regarding the PAIA.
The Information Regulator, as of 30 June 2021, took over the function of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) from the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). The objectives of PAIA are to promote transparency, accountability, and effective governance on all public and private bodies. An Information Officer of a private body must compile a PAIA manual. This manual aims to facilitate requests for information from private bodies. This manual is to be made available at the...