Injury on Duty: How the COIDA Amendments Will Influence Your Business
If one of your employees has an accident at work tomorrow, would you be ready to respond to the accident in compliance with the latest amendments stipulated in the Compensation...
AARTO and your business
The long-awaited phase 2 of AARTO has been rolled out in 62 municipalities in the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, North-West and Northen Cape provinces. The rest are...
Dismissing on a positive alcohol test? Be extra careful.
Alcohol-related misconduct cases continue to present a difficult balancing exercise for employers. While zero-tolerance policies are common (particularly in safety-sensitive environments), the CCMA and Labour Court have consistently emphasised that...
Employee Burnout in Client-Facing Roles: Recognising the Signs and Building More Sustainable Workplaces
It is no secret that employee burnout has become one of the most significant workplace challenges of the modern era. According to the Gallup’s State of the Workplace Report (2024),...
When Process Protects Both the People and the Business
Often the fastest route feels like the easiest: remove the problem and move on. But procedural fairness is as important as substantive fairness in disciplinary matters. Following a fair disciplinary...
Performance Management Is Changing — Is Your Organisation Keeping Up?
Across industries, one conversation continues to surface in boardrooms and leadership teams alike: Why is it so difficult to get performance management right? Not because organisations care any less about performance...
Preparing for 2026: New Labour Law Changes, Minimum Wage Increases and the Need for Careful Planning
From March 2026, employers across South Africa are required to review their payroll structures, employment practices and overall compliance obligations. While the annual adjustment to the National Minimum Wage remains...
The “January Re-Fresh” or the “January Slump”?
Switching from airplane mode back to 5G or WiFi does not always bring with it the sense of security that we think it does, especially when employees must make the...
Alcohol and the Workplace – What You Should Know
As the festive season draws closer, employers are faced with the problem of unauthorised alcohol usage in the workplace on a regular basis. It can become very challenging for employers...
Parental Leave
On 3 October 2025, the Constitutional Court of South Africa ruled that the country’s current labour laws for maternity and parental leave are unconstitutional. In 2023 the High Court found that...
What Employers Need to Know about the new Code of Good Practice: Dismissal
On 4 September 2025, the Minister of Employment and Labour gazetted the new Code of Good Practice: Dismissal (hereafter referred to as “the Code”). This Code, effective from the date...
Participating, seeing, knowing… how much are you / your employees involved?
Ever been blamed merely for being in the wrong place at the wrong time? The Constitutional Court case of Dunlop Mixing and Technical Services (Pty) Ltd v NUMSA & Others...
“Back to the Office”… It is not that simple
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, it is not unusual that many employees across the world have become accustomed to the work-from-home lifestyle. The pandemic accelerated the shift to remote work and...
How to Comply with South Africa’s 2025 Employment Equity Amendments
Navigating the world of Employment Equity (EE) in the workplace can be tricky, especially with the introduction of the 2025 amendments. On the 15th of April, Minister of Employment and...
Mental health and well-being: What organisations need to know
Given legislative changes, the challenging economic environment, organisational shifts following the Covid-19 pandemic and many other factors, organisations (both locally and internationally) are continuously challenged with having to adapt and...
How to navigate the generational gap in the workplace
Have you ever wondered why some employees seem more accepting of your management style or the environmental conditions in the workplace than others? Or perhaps you’ve thought that you need...
Fair Pay, Fair Play: Results-based Remuneration and the National Minimum Wage
On 4 February 2025, the Minister of Employment and Labour, Nomakhosazana Meth, announced an adjustment to the national minimum wage (NMW) of 4.4%. This increase will take effect as of...
It’s Not Just About the Salary: What Employees Really Want in 2025
It’s easy to assume that employees only want higher salaries. After all, according to PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2024, only 29% of African employees can comfortably pay...
Alcohol Dependency – Automatic Incapacity Procedure? Think again
Claims of having an alcohol dependency is often seen as a “get out of jail free card” for employees facing disciplinary action – but the reality is more complex. Many...
The Fine Line – Navigating the Precarious World of Sick Leave in South Africa
Long read Introduction Imagine this: you wake up feeling as if a herd of elephants has danced on your head overnight, and the last thing you want to do is face your...
Time Management – more than just ticking boxes
With the first day of spring having arrived in South Africa and the days slowly becoming longer, we have reached the last stretch towards the end of the year with...
Derivative Misconduct: To report the truth and not ignore it
In the complex realm of workplace ethics and legal responsibilities, derivative misconduct stands out as a critical yet often misunderstood concept. This term “refers to a situation where an employee...
Understanding the context of wage negotiations and salary increases
Labour experts caution against overly optimistic expectations for the 2024 wage negotiations, set to be challenging amid economic difficulties including high inflation, a struggling trading environment and job losses. Workers,...
Retaining the remaining talent in South Africa
It's hard to believe that in a country with a population of up to 62 million and an official unemployment rate of 32,9% (QLFS Q1 Stats SA), a single job...
Imagining a post-election (2024) South African workforce
As South Africa approaches its national elections on the 29th of May 2024, the outcome may have a multitude of impacts on the country’s socio-economic landscape, one of which is...
Beyond Zero Tolerance: Rethinking Cannabis Policies by Balancing Workplace Safety and Employee Rights
In a recent legal development, the Labour Appeal Court (LAC) has shaken up the landscape of workplace drug policies, particularly concerning the use of cannabis. The landmark ruling in the...
Psychological Safety in the Workplace
In an ever-evolving employment context where teams and workgroups are becoming more prominent, questions surrounding performance and impact start being asked. Why are some teams more successful than others? What...
Adjustment to the Earnings Threshold 2024
The Department of Employment and Labour has recently adjusted the earnings threshold under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA). The new threshold will take effect on 1 April 2024....
Employee Burnout
Employee burnout, a phenomenon recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO), is a form of workplace stress that extends beyond mere exhaustion. It encompasses mental, physical, and emotional fatigue, resulting...
“Maternity” Leave for all parents to become a reality?
In a recent groundbreaking case to extend equal parental leave rights and Unemployment Insurance Fund benefits to all categories of parents of a newborn child, the constitutionality of sections 25,...
Movember in the Workplace
We are almost at the end of the month of November which may seem quite unbelievable for most. “Where has this year gone?” is something we tend to ask ourselves...
Employment Equity
Update on the EE compliance requirements and EE reporting 2023 The Employment Equity Amendment Act (EEAA), 2022, which introduces significant amendments to the existing Employment Equity Act (EEA), was signed into...
The Importance of Job Grading
Job grading is an essential part of designing a company's organisational and remuneration structures. It involves creating different job levels that help companies develop job-specific duties and decide on payment...
The Inverse of Productivity – Quiet Quitting
“Stop loafing” is a term you most likely would have heard somewhere in your life. Loafing, according to the Oxford dictionary, means spending one’s time in an aimless, idle way....
The Pareto Principle (80:20 Rule)
Organisations are constantly facing challenges given the recent changes in the business landscape (due to Covid-19), legislative and compliance requirements, and continuous fluctuations in employee and consumer requirements and needs....
Developing Soft Skills in the Workplace – Part 2
In the April edition of our Newsletter, we discussed the Importance of Soft Skills in the workplace. As a reminder, ”soft skills” refer to non-job-specific skills that are...
Is this a transfer of a business and must my employees be transferred?
We are often approached by clients with a request to facilitate retrenchment proceedings as the client intends on either selling their business (or part of their business) or outsourcing a...
The Importance of “Soft Skills”
In a previous publication by Joubert & Associates in February 2021, the importance of skills development as a form of human capacity development was emphasised. The focus...
The reality of load shedding for businesses and household salaries
South Africa’s economy has been crippled with the implementation of daily power cuts for the past few months, in that it has cost billions of rands in lost activity. All...
Power Dressing: The silent confidence booster for 2023
According to Business Insider, the year 2023 may see an increase in employees returning to the office. Reasoning thereof may vary, either due to personal choice, company policy, or external...
Misconduct at a year-end function
2022 has come and gone and during December numerous companies celebrated another completed year with year-end functions. These events are often accompanied by consumption of alcohol. Whilst the purpose of...
Emotional Intelligence: The WHAT, WHY and HOW
According to Human Resources Today, it is oftentimes highly challenging to fully comprehend the cause and impact of emotions. As such, researchers worldwide are increasingly recognizing and emphasising the important...
Employment Equity
Employment Equity (EE) Reporting 2022 This is a reminder that it is time for the annual Employment Equity Reporting for the 2022 period. All designated employers must submit their annual Employment Equity...
HR Audit
Having policies, procedures and the necessary documentation in place is the first step in ensuring that your business is compliant with HR legislation. Thereafter, maintenance thereof becomes extremely vital. How...
Career Planning and Development
Quite often, one of the most daunting decisions to make, and this at a very young age, is deciding one’s career path. Fortunately, for some this decision occurs easily, whereas...
Skills Shortages and Unemployment in South Africa: Part 2 – Overcoming the challenges
Click here for Part 1 of this article. It is difficult to ignore the soaring unemployment rate, continuous electricity cuts and choking economic growth which are contributing to already high...
Food for Thought: Generational Tenure
According to hiring specialists, Career Junction, most employees tend to not stay in their jobs for longer than three years. The latest Career Junction Employment Insights report for May 2022...
Skills Shortages and Unemployment in South Africa: Part 1
Stats SA has published its latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for the first quarter of 2022, placing the official unemployment rate at 34,5%. The unemployment rate was 35,3% in...
5 Things employers should know before starting the recruitment & selection process
When you, the employer, decide to commence the recruitment process, it can be quite an overwhelming experience. You may therefore often resort to making use of an external company to...
The Prevention and Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the Workplace
The “Code of Good Practice on the Prevention and Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the Workplace”, published by South African Minister of Employment and Labour, TW Nxesi, became effective...
Mandatory Vaccination Policies
It is public knowledge that the Department of Labour and Employment has issued a Code of Good Practice: Managing Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in the Workplace under the Labour Relations Act....
Incompatibility in the Workplace
It can happen in any organisation: one person just doesn’t seem to fit in. It can, for example, happen where a manager and employee have a falling out over a...
The Great Resignation Trend of the 21st Century
In Google’s 2021 search trends, it showed that more people searched for “how to start a business” than “how to get a job in 2021”. In the world of work,...
Will the “Work from Home” trend prevail in 2022?
We all know that there has been a tremendous uproar over the last two years surrounding the “Work from Home” trend. A “workplace trend” can be explained as an anticipated...
Independent contractors vs employees
Due to the fact that South African employment legislation applies only to employees as defined in the relevant legislation, it often occurs that companies enter into independent contractor agreements with...
The environment and your company
Much attention has been paid lately to companies’ obligations in relation to the environment and climate change. During a panel discussion in 2018 the Institute of Directors of South Africa...
Merit: Pay for Performance
Every person expects a logical relationship between input (performance) and results (pay). If the relationship is deemed to be unfair, it may lead to dissatisfaction. The individual also judges his/her...
Employment Equity
All designated employers must submit their annual Employment Equity (EE) reports to the Department of Employment and Labour, between 1 September 2021 and 15 January 2022. Who must report: A designated...
The importance of talent pipeline planning
The Covid-19 pandemic surely illustrated the importance of having proper business continuity to ensure sustainability. At Joubert & Associates, we too needed to practice what we preach, as we soon...
Can you discipline an employee for misconduct outside of the workplace?
Discipline in the workplace is always an interesting and hot topic of discussion, especially with South Africa’s ever-evolving labour legislation and case law bringing to light new angles and discourse....
The AARTO Act will impact your workplace
The Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act 1998 (Act no 46 of 1998) as amended (“AARTO”), has come into effect on 1 July 2021 and will be implemented in...
Alcohol related misconduct
Most companies have alcohol related policies which clearly state that the company does not condone the possession or use of alcohol whilst on duty, nor does it condone employees reporting...
Trade unions and organisational rights
We are often contacted by clients in a panic due to the fact that a union has gained membership within their workplace. Although the prospects of having a union in...
The legality of mandatory vaccination policies
As the Covid vaccinations are rolling out there is much debate surrounding the legality of implementing a mandatory vaccination policy in the workplace. There seems to be very little consensus...
Remuneration Strategy and Policy
Remuneration is an important aspect of the employee-employer relationship. It is based on the exchange-relationship between employees and employers, and reflects an economically motivated process where certain inputs from the...
The importance of Skills Development
Skills Development, also commonly referred to as Human Capital Development, is not a novel concept in the South African organisational environment. While methodologies, models and alternate ways of funding skills...
National Minimum Wage – Amendments
On 8 February 2021 it was announced in the Government Gazette that the following amendments have been made to the national minimum wage, effective 1 March 2021: The national minimum...
Successful Recruitment & Selection
The decision: “to appoint, or not to appoint” After being involved in talent management for decades, it still surprises me that employers often appoint employees based on an applicant’s CV and...
Employee Experience and work place change predictions for 2021
What a year 2020 has been. While doing research for this article, I came across various predictions for 2020, which was written in January this year. Pre-COVID-19. We were optimistic...
Protection of Personal Information Act: Is your HR function compliant?
The Protection of Personal Information Act, Act No 4 of 2013 (“POPIA” or “POPI Act”) was signed into law in 2013, but most of the operational provisions of the Protection...
Employment Equity 2020 – Online Reporting Now Open
The electronic submission portal to report Employment Equity (EE) is now open and will run till 15 January 2021. Designated Employers in South Africa are obligated to submit an employment equity...
Employee Remuneration Uncertainties in 2020
The debate regarding employee remuneration and increases for 2020/21, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and its dire effect on the economy, will largely be determined by the following two variables /...
Working from Home
Working from home (WFH) has become an increasingly common practice over the past few years with the expansion of technological advancements in communication and software development. The Corona Virus global pandemic...
Difference between UIF Reduced Work Time and TERS benefits
There have been conflicting reports and much confusion on what employers are entitled to do regarding the 21-day lock-down that has been imposed by Government. Neither employers nor employees are...
Newsflash! Parental leave is finally here!
The long-awaited parental leave benefit has been implemented as of 01 January 2020! As per the much-anticipated Government Gazette (No. 42925, published on 23 December 2019), the Basic Conditions of Employment...
Why your company needs to do an HR Audit in 2020
Human Resource Management is the process of managing people in organisations in a structured and strategic manner. Various goal-orientated HR strategies and/or processes are normally in place to ensure an...
Getting a bonus this year? Consider yourself lucky!
The Jack Hammer’s Bonus and Salary Survey indicates that senior professionals in the corporate environment of South Africa are taking the realities of the country’s commercial and economic situation on...
Uncertainty about the parental leave benefit
As of the 1st of November 2019, the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) is able to commence the processing of claims for parental leave. However, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA),...
Gender Equality in the Workplace: Promoting the employment of females
South Africa, unlike numerous other countries, has progressive legislation in place that protects and promotes the rights of women in general and in the workplace. South African legislation, and more...
Why do unions still demand double digit wage increases?
Given an inflation rate of 4,3% and economic growth rate of less than 1%, it would be reasonable to expect that unions and workers would adjust their demands to more...
Assessments to reveal the What, How and Why behind your employees’ behaviour
There are several personality tests available both on- and offline. Sometimes completing a personality quiz is included in the recruitment and selection process to determine if a person is a...
The importance of one-on-one meetings
So, you’ve heard about others doing one-on-ones. Some do a one-hour session every other week with each team member. Counting preparation time, one-on-ones would take up a significant part of...
HR 2020 and beyond
Joubert & Associates recently did a strategic analysis on how the current political and economic climate impacts on HR management practises in the workplace. A matrix with four scenarios was...
Joubert & Associates’ Training Programmes
It’s time again for Joubert & Associates’ Winter School! This year, we will be focusing on in-house training which can be presented in the comfort of employers’ own premises. We...
The importance of training your employees
One manager asks, “what happens if we invest in our people and then they leave us?” To which the other replies, “what happens if we don’t and they stay?” Even though...
The importance of job descriptions
A number of companies opt not to have formal, written job descriptions for their employees on the basis of ”it’s just easier not to have any” or “it’s less complicated”...
HR Audit
The concept of an audit has been in the organisational setting for years, even though we usually think of it in financial terms. Why is it that some employers have...
National Minimum Wage
As of January 1, 2019, South Africa's first-ever national minimum wage is in effect. The Act provides that the minimum wage will be determined regularly by the Minister of Labour. The...
Improve your work-life balance
“Change the structure of your life” It could prove rather useful to change some old habits or ways of doing things that take up a lot of your time. Try to...
Marijuana in the workplace
The ban on private possession, consumption and cultivation of marijuana at home was ruled unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court on 18 September 2018, with the result that both the use...
Parental Leave in South Africa
South African fathers have been looking with envy at their Scandinavian counterparts who have for many years been granted paid paternity leave. Why have fathers in South Africa been left behind?...
Waarom streef na ‘n diverse werksmag?
Diversiteit verwys na die uniekheid van mense en kan ingebore menslike verskille soos ouderdom, ras, geslag en fisieke vermoë wees, maar ook minder sigbare dimensies soos opvoeding, kultuur, geloof, persepsies,...
Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
While there are many benefits to having highly intelligent employees, most leaders have become aware of the fact that workplace success depends even more on the ability to use another...
Discipline in the Workplace Course
During the month of September we will once again be presenting our ever-popular "Discipline in the Workplace" training course in Paarl. This Services SETA accredited training program is specifically aimed...
Bullying and Racism in the Workplace
South Africa, as a developing country, currently faces enormous economic and political challenges leading to spiralling labour cost and the need to improve productivity in the workplace. Within a typical...
Future of Performance Management
In the second half of the 20th century (the post war years of industrial growth), an increasing focus on management practices led to increased production, productivity & profitability. With the...
Werknemer verbondenheid
Navorsing het bewys dat 'n hoë vlak van werknemer verbondenheid ʼn direkte positiewe impak op die wins en produktiwiteit van 'n organisasie het. Verbondenheid kan vanuit die volgende drie perspektiewe beskou...
Waarna om te kyk met werwing en keuring
Alhoewel die koste van arbeid een van die grootste uitgawes in enige organisasie se begroting is, word besluite oor die aanstelling van menses soms baie vinnig en met min inligting...
Vinnige werwing, langdurige gevolge
Ons verstaan. ʼn Slegte aanstelling is ʼn duur aanstelling. Dus, belê maar tyd en hulpbronne in daardie groot werwingsvyand. Soms sien 'n werkgewer nie die nut van 'n goeie werwingproses in...
Hoe belangrik is referentnavrae?
Keuring word deur die meeste mense beskou as die belangrikste komponent van die indiensname proses, en bepaal oorhoofs die sukses van die diensverhouding. Derhalwe is dit belangrik om te verseker...
Kweek ‘n kultuur van diens
Navorsing bewys dat kliënte wat ontevrede is met diens wat hulle kry, bloot nie weer terugkom na die onderneming wat slegte diens gelewer het nie, en eerder die maatskappy se...
Kommunikasie met bestaande kliënte
Kommunikasie met bestaande kliënte is dikwels die lewensaar van 'n organisasie. Deur besigheid te doen met bestaande kliënte is baie makliker as om nuwe kliënte te oorreed om van jou...
Interne aanstellings en bevorderings
Suid-Afrika is een van die lande met die hoogste werkloosheidskoers ter wêreld. Werkgewers is in 'n baie moeilike situasie waar dit 'n groot uitdaging is om geskikte werknemers te werf,...
Opleiding in swak ekonomiese tye
Is dit realisties om van jou werkgewer te verwag om aan te hou met opleiding as ekonomiese druk verhoog? ʼn Swak ekonomiese klimaat gaan dikwels met salarisvriesings en -afnames, hoë werkslading,...
Die telefoniese onderhoud
'n Werwingskonsultant het vroeër 'n telefoniese onderhoud met jou gereël. Jy hou jou horlosie angstig dop terwyl die minute verbytik. Jou selfoon lui, jou hart klop in jou keel. Die...
Delegasie van gesag binne organisasies
Anders as in ʼn demokrasie, waar die massagroep hul mag / gesag aan ʼn leiers toevertrou, beskik die eienaar (aandeelhouers en Direksie) binne moderne organisasies oor gesag wat hulle afwaarts...
Afwesigheid by die werksplek
Kroniese afwesigheid word as een van die grootste probleme in hedendaagse ondernemings beskou. Die effek van afwesigheid is enorm. Nie net boet werkgewers op produksie in nie, maar die afwesige...
Die Bestuur van Verandering
Met verandering wat kenmerkend van die alledaagse besigheidswêreld is, is dit belangrik dat elkeen van ons die basiese begrippe oor die bestuur van verander onder die knie kry. Moderne ondernemings bly...
Wenke vir Strategiese Beplanning
Dit het by baie organisasie die gewoonte geword om jaarliks 'n strategiese sessie te hou ten einde strategiese beplanning te doen. Tydens hierdie tipe werksesies word telkens na nuwe modelle,...
Streshantering in die werksplek
Maak die werksplek jou siek? Werknemers staar meer beroeps- en werksverandering in die gesig as ooit tevore. Meer as ooit word daar van werknemers vereis om meer produktief te wees, sensitief te...
Jaareindfunksies – fees of euwel?
Vanaf 15 Desember is dit tradisioneel vakansietyd in Suid-Afrika. Baie ondernemings sluit hul fabrieke en kantore dan tot vroeg in die nuwe jaar. Dit is gebruiklik dat ’n afsluitingsgeleentheid gehou word...
Jonger werknemers vir ‘n effektiewer maatskappy
Alhoewel ervaring aan ’n werknemer die mag gee om hom-/haarself vinnig en gemaklik binne ’n nuwe werksomgewing te vestig, is daar baie voordele verbonde aan die aanstelling van ’n jonger,...
Verdien ek die regte salaris?
Die kontrak tussen werkgewers en werknemers berus op ʼn ooreenkoms m.b.t. die dienste wat gelewer moet word in ruil vir ʼn aanvaarbare vergoedingspakket. Die ooreenkoms strek dan tot by aftrede...
Wenke teen tydmors by die werk
In ʼn navorsingspeiling gedoen deur salary.com is bevind dat 73% van mense erken dat hulle gemiddeld een uur per dag, oftewel nagenoeg 15% van hul werkstyd, tyd mors by die...
Seksuele teistering in die werksplek
Definisie Die Goeie Praktykkode oor die hantering van seksuele teistering in die werkplek definieer seksuele teistering as "ongewenste gedrag van 'n seksuele aard wat die regte van 'n werknemer skend en...
Onder die invloed van alkohol by die werk
Jy is doodrustig besig om soos elke ander dag jou werk te doen, wanneer jy agterkom dat een van jou kollegas besonder vreemd optree. Meteens praat die persoon direk na...
Die eerste 100 dae in ʼn nuwe pos
Almal weet daar word aansienlike hoeveelheid tyd, moeite en geld geïnvesteer om die korrekte persoon te vind om enige vakante posisie suksesvol te vul. Hoe gemaak as jy die suksesvolle...
Dink deeglik voordat jy bedank!
Permanente diensooreenkomste strek tot en met aftrede. Volgens die Wet op Arbeidsverhoudinge (wet 66 van 1995) het ʼn werkgewer die reg om kontrakte te beëindig in gevalle waar die werknemer...
Hoe lyk ʼn goeie CV?
Die een enkele vraag wat byna elke kandidaat vra nadat hy moes hoor dat sy aansoek onsuksesvol was, is: “Wat is fout met my CV?” En 9 uit die 10...