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Category Archives: General Terms and Conditions

Types of Employment Policies and Procedures

Employment Policies and Procedures are necessary for the business owner to establish company rules and procedures and to ensure that their employees fully understand their rights, obligations and the necessary steps to take in various employment-related situations. After reading and signing an Employment Contract that references the employer’s policies & procedures, the employee becomes bound…

Contracts of employment are a legal requirement

Are your contracts, agreements, forms and documents all in order? In the course of our dealings with businesses, we have often come across instances where an employer has appointed staff without a proper letter of appointment or Employment Contract. Or they can’t find the employee’s written terms of employment when they are asked to produce…

Exploring the Impact of Recent Labour Relations Act Amendments

After the recent amendments to the Labour Relations Act, certain temporary and fixed term employees, including labour broker employees, may now be deemed to be permanent employees. The Labour Relations Amendment Act has increased the protection afforded to labour broker employees and temporary employees employed under fixed term and part-time contracts. The effect of these…

Drafting a Smoking Policy: Protecting Your Business and Employees

Medical tests have proven that by being a second-hand smoker (or passive smoker) you run the risk of getting lung cancer or heart related diseases, just as much as the active smoker, simply by inhaling the cigarette smoke. Tests have also indicated that tobacco smoke causes migraine and asthma attacks amongst both the active and…

Guidelines for Paying Overtime to Your Employees

Do you have to pay staff for overtime? Well, here’s a snippet of information that can add value to your company’s bottom line, although your employees may not particularly like us much for revealing this to you: not all employees are entitled to overtime pay. In terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, the…

Drafting a Comprehensive Sexual Harassment Policy

Sexual harassment can be defined as the unwanted or unacceptable conduct of sexual nature that can be regarded as offensive, humiliating or intimidating and could have a negative impact on the work environment. A Sexual Harassment Policy acknowledges the right of all employees, customers, clients or suppliers to work in an environment free from sexual harassment. Sexual harassment…

Agreeing to a Penalty Test: What You Need to Know

Charging or paying interest on outstanding debts can be perplexing. We often get legal advice from friends who aren’t lawyers, which leads us to believe that the way we are doing our business is the right way. Here’s what you need to know when you charge or agree to interest: If your debtor is in…

Insist on a medical certificate

When must a medical certificate be produced by an employee? Can an employer refuse to pay an employee who has been off sick? The Basic Conditions of Employment Act states that an employer is not required to pay an employee if the employee: has been absent from work for more than two consecutive days or…

Your Responsibilities as an Employer of Domestic Workers in South Africa

Overview of the Sectoral Determination 7: Domestic Workers Sector  Employment Contracts People who employ domestic workers (cleaners, housekeepers, helpers, care-givers, gardeners) are required to register them with UIF and must have a proper Employment Contract with them.  A copy of the contract of employment must be kept for a period of three years after the…

Managing Incapacity at Work: Policies and Procedures for Employers

With the fierce competitiveness facing most industries today, your business cannot afford to turn a blind eye to employees that simply aren’t performing. In addition to the direct expenses of having a poor performer on your payroll, there are also the hidden costs of correcting their mistakes, dealing with customer complaints, and the additional time needed…