Alcohol at Work: The Cough Mixture Defence
“The employer shall ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, that all persons who may be directly affected by his activities are not thereby exposed to hazards to their health or safety.” (Occupational Health and Safety Act) The season of goodwill, holidays, celebrations, and year-end functions is upon us once again. And with it comes […]
Parental Leave: Out With the Old, in With the New
“Raising kids is part joy and part guerilla warfare.” (Ed Asner, actor with a great sense of humour!) A game-changing judgment from our Constitutional Court sets out new rules for parental leave. The joy of becoming parents, and a father’s leave dilemma The birth of a couple’s first child presented them with both a bundle […]
As 1 December Looms, Here’s What AARTO Means for Motorists and Employers
“Forewarned is forearmed.” (Wise old proverb) Government keeps assuring us that the long-delayed AARTO (Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences) system will finally begin its full national rollout on 1 December 2025. Is this another false start or the real thing this time? There have been so many false starts to AARTO over the last […]
Honesty at Work: A 50c Coin Costs a Bank Teller Her Job
“There’s no trust, no faith, no honesty in men.” (William Shakespeare, in Romeo and Juliet) A recent Labour Court decision is a stark reminder to employees that an employment relationship is founded on trust, and that any breach of that trust could justify dismissal. Pocketing a 50c coin to balance her till The responsibilities of […]
What’s the Normal Retirement Age? It’s Complicated, as The Plumber’s Tale Proves
“When cognitive capacities are the focus, the 70s are the new 50s.” (IMF) Fake news articles suggesting that South Africa was implementing a new standard retirement age policy, supposedly from 30 May this year, recently went viral on social media. Convincingly structured to look realistic (AI’s dark hand there?), the articles suggested that 65 is […]
Restraint of Trade: Fatal Vagueness Means no Father Christmas to the Rescue
“The legal principles, as I understand them, do not confer on me the powers of Father Christmas. I cannot rescue the un-rescuable.” (Quoted in the judgment below) We all want loyal, competent staff who remain motivated to stay with us in the long term, but the reality is that a degree of employee churn is […]
Fixed Term Contracts: A Guide for Employers and Employees
It’s vital for both employers and employees to understand the practical and legal differences between permanent and fixed term employment arrangements. What is a fixed term contract? A fixed term contract is a temporary employment arrangement with a specified start date and an agreed end date. This could be a fixed end date or a […]