Mike Matthews Human Resource Consultants

21/01/2023

21/01/2023

Entrepreneurship at its most creative

This is an amazing story and it highlights the benefits of the technology we are seeing from the banks around enabling payment through the banking app.
Struggling to find work Lehubedu identified an opportunity to provide hot coffee to motorists sitting at traffic lights. His challenge was around payment - cash is not safe and also requires change etc. He uses Nedbank Tap on phone technology which allows his customers to just tap their bank card on the back of his phone. He receives the payment into his bank account. That is so clever and such a useful tool for entrepreneurs.
I think most of us don't even realise what our banking apps can do!

21/01/2023

Another community post...

18/01/2023

Finding Nemo

By Jan du Toit

After the festive season many employers will be left in the dark regarding the whereabouts of some of their employees that have failed to return to work. Did the employee find another job, perhaps fell ill, won the lotto, found new love, and cannot or will not return to work?

The reality is that the employer will not know and can therefore not assume that the employee has no intention to return to work. In such circumstances the onus rests on the employer to establish whether the employee will return to work or not before termination of employment may be considered.

The Oxford dictionary defines the word ‘abscond’ as leaving hurriedly and secretly. It can therefore be said that the act of absconding means that one does not have the intention to return to work. In circumstances where the employer does not know whether the employee will return to work or not, the employer will have to establish this before the employee can be dismissed. It is therefore common practice that un-communicated and unauthorised absence for a period of more than three or five days, depending on the employer’s disciplinary code, will be dealt with as abscondment.

1. Communicated absence from work cannot be dealt with as abscondment because the employee indicated intent to return to work by informing the employer of his / her whereabouts.

2. Employers must refrain from acting hastily by terminating the employment of employees prematurely, even for extended periods of absence from work.

3. Should the now ex-employee return to work after termination of employment based on abscondment, he / she must be given the opportunity to appeal against such decision. The ex-employee will therefore be required to explain why he / she failed to report for duty, why he / she failed to communicate such absence to the employer and lastly, why he / she failed to respond to attempts made by the employer to establish contact.

So how does one establish whether the employee intends to return to work?

Read More...
https://www.labourguide.co.za/recent-articles/2928-finding-nemo

18/01/2023

A thorny topic - guidance regarding docking pay when load shedding occurs

Law firm Wright Rose Innes provides insight into the legality of cutting workers pay when business is stalled due to load shedding.

18/01/2023

The CCMA has excellent internet resources giving details for registering a dispute

If you have a labour matter, it is important you take steps immediately. In the case of an unfair dismissal dispute, you have only 30 days from the date on which the dispute arose to open a case, 90 days for unfair labour practice and 6 months for discrimination cases http://bit.ly/3w3KLeS

11/01/2023

Read this about referring disputes to the CCMA

If you have a labour matter, it is important you take steps immediately. In the case of an unfair dismissal dispute, you have only 30 days from the date on which the dispute arose to open a case, 90 days for unfair labour practice and 6 months for discrimination cases https://cmsonline.ccma.org.za/

11/01/2023

Something for the employer to remember for polygraph testing

An employee may not be compelled to undergo a polygraph examination, unless she or he agrees to it or a collective agreement or contract of employment provides for it. The agreement must be in writing. More info on the below information sheet, also available on our website https://ccma.org.za/categories/info-sheets/

02/01/2023

It is a requirement of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act for an employer to provide an employee with written particulars of employment. This includes, amongst others, a job description, place of work, days and hours of hours, and payment info. https://www.ccma.org.za/categories/info-sheets/

02/01/2023

Happy new year and best wishes for the year ahead #2023

02/01/2023

https://businesstech.co.za/news/business/651501/four-day-workweek-pilot-launching-in-south-africa-soon-with-20-local-companies-on-board/?utm_source=everlytic&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=businesstech

On average, revenue increased across all companies by 8.1% over the trial period and increased by 38% compared to the same period in 2021;

Employee fatigue decreased by 10%;
Employee stress and mental health issues decreased by 32% and 38%, respectively;
On average, employees engaged in 27 minutes of additional physical activity per week;

Work and family life balance increased by 60%, while relationships with colleagues and family members improved by 44.9%;

Overall, life satisfaction increased by 57.5%.

New data showed some promising results after more than 30 companies, and almost 1,000 employees in the US, Ireland, and Australia recently concluded a six-month four-day week pilot program.

18/12/2022

https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/companies-and-deals/makro-workers-drop-union-for-wage-offer/

Makro employees take matters into the Iowa hands to end tjr strike impasse.

After wage talks collapse.