Why vaccines should be encouraged in the workplace, but rarely enforced
The distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine is seen as a fundamental component to ending the pandemic. However, mandatory vaccinations in the workplace should be treated with caution by all employers. As it stands, there is currently no legislation in South African law that specifically requires an employee to be vaccinated against COVID-19. As a point of departure, the Occupational Health and Safety Act mandates […]
Professionalism Goes a Long Way
Professionalism is defined as a person’s conduct at work. It refers to the level of competence or excellence that is expected of a professional. One should never apologise for having high standards and rather provide the level of expectation. It is the employer’s duty to ensure good performance by all his/her employees, so their company will be viewed as professional. Employees should be made aware of the […]
What is a reasonable expectation of renewal?
An employee has been employed on a fixed-term employment contract for a number of years. Each consecutive year, the fixed contract is renewed at the election of the employer. After the fixed contract expired, the employer decides not to renew the employee’s contract. Is the employee entitled to a renewal of the fixed-term employment contract […]
Little white lies can get you into big trouble
October 2019, was Justice month as Ramaphosa signs in various new laws, one of them being CV Fraud. Do you embellish your curriculum vitae to increase your chances of procuring a new job? A fake matric certificate, inflated education, fake degree certificates and unfinished degrees are some of the common embellishments that are found on […]
Compensation Fund claims: Now open to domestic workers
For a long time, the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act, better known as COIDA, has provided compensation to employees who were injured on duty or contracted diseases or illnesses caused by the workplace. However, the Act explicitly excluded certain employees from its scope of operation, amongst others, domestic workers in private households. Dependents […]
Occupational health and safety in the workplace
What does occupational health and safety (OHS) refer to? OHS is a discipline that involves many different specialised fields. OHS promotes and maintains the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations. It aims to protect workers from health risks, to prevent adverse effects on the health of workers caused […]
The role of a recognition agreement at the workplace
I have been approached by a trade union to enter into a Recognition Agreement with them. The trade union is of the opinion that it is entitled to be recognised at my business given that they represent a certain number of employees. Do I have to enter into discussions with the trade union? A trade […]
Does South Africa have a public retirement insurance scheme?
My husband’s employer made provision for an occupational retirement vehicle, but my employer refuses to do so. Is there any possible recourse for me in this situation? There is currently no public retirement insurance scheme in South Africa. This is quite a predicament for most South Africans, as the majority of persons employed in the […]
Are fathers entitled to paternal leave?
Fathers could spend up to two weeks with their newborn babies, while adoptive parents and parents-to-be via surrogacy, could get up to 10 weeks of leave. This is due to the latest Labour Laws Amendment Bill 2017 (“amendment bill”), which was passed by the National Assembly in November 2017. The current labour legislation provides that […]