South Africa is a beautifully multi-coloured, multi-cultural, multi-lingual country, comprising of people hailing from all walks of life. We certainly are a Rainbow Nation in every sense. It’s one thing to acknowledge and celebrate our eclectic melting pot. But in some cases that’s not enough. Where appropriate, and particularly in situations where justice demands it,…
I’m going to hold a disciplinary hearing to hopefully dismiss a staff member. She is demanding that I provide a Xhosa interpreter for her during the hearing. Is this really necessary? Sure, her English isn’t great but she can understand it. Yes, it is necessary. Your employee has a right to an interpreter during the…
Why do your employees work for you? Be honest. Is it your boundless generosity? The awesome working environment? The character-building challenge of the projects? The invaluable experience? The office manager’s sparkling personality? Donuts on a Friday? The free coffee? All of the above? Let us not sugar-coat the truth. The real reason why employees work…
The antics of the unpopular president in a certain country across the Atlantic has ushered in much commentary about his Reality TV Show, The Apprentice. Where his signature line, “You’re Fired!” has no doubt tempted more than a few frustrated employers, who would dearly love to employ the same tactics. But the few that do…
Are restraints of trade legal? Can they be enforced? Should I be worried about signing a restraint? Or is it true that a restraint of trade isn’t worth the paper it’s written on? The short answer is: restraints of trade are indeed legal. Restraints are a common employment requirement and form an integral part of…
We often hear people ask “Am I paying my helper enough? What’s the going rate for domestic workers?” South African law (under Sectoral Determination 7) sets out the minimum wages required to be paid to domestic workers. The Department of Labour updates the minimum wages for domestic workers annually. This update came into effect…
Previously, in Employment & the Recognised Retirement Age – Part I (Missed part I? Never fear – Click here!) Being a diligent, law-abiding company, the employer has dotted all the i’s and crossed all the t’s. Or, more specifically, has recorded the noble age of 60 as being the official retirement age, in both the…
Life ain’t what it used to be. In days gone by…. (cue the sepia scene, gently time-faded, slightly torn around the edges) when you finished school – loosely speaking, as a matric wasn’t necessarily a prerequisite for many careers – you were generally expected to enter the workforce. A popular starting point would have…
If the secret to a business’ success lies in its staff, then the most critical point for the business is at the recruitment and hiring stage. In most instances, both employer and prospective employee have been there, done that, know what to expect. The advert, the application, the interview, the offer, the acceptance, the signature…
Employment can be a dangerously hazardous affair. What with the rising occurrences of swine flu, bird flu, yuppie flu, man flu, phantom flu, even the near-fatal garden-variety common-cold, and not to mention that most debilitating of illness – the inability to work on the days before or after a public holiday. Whilst the dangers are…
