Payroll careers in focus – why numbers and people matter
Does solving business problems with creative ideas motivate you? Are you inspired by deadlines and accurate results? Do you like working with people as much as numbers? These questions paint a specific picture for a specific role: people who manage payroll.
Conditional reinstatements shake the labour law tightrope
When an employee has been unfairly dismissed, the Labour Relations Act (LRA) prescribes reinstatement as the remedy. The employer can depart from this only if it shows good reason. Full reinstatement requires the employer to pay the employee all remuneration accrued between the date of dismissal and the date of reinstatement.
Ghost employees – haunting your payroll and HR?
If something strange seems to be happening in your payroll and HR department, and your company’s profits are vanishing into thin air, chances are you have ghost employees in payroll draining your bottom line. From my experience, the presence of ghost employees on a company’s payroll system ranks among the most difficult types of payroll fraud to detect.
Unions and the youth – marching to different drums?
A growing number of the youth are giving trade unions a pass - not out of disinterest, but disconnection. Traditional union structures feel increasingly out of step with the values, platforms and priorities of a new generation navigating digital workspaces, gig economies and fluid career paths.
ULP – dismissal cannot be masked as retrenchment
In Mqikela vs Pristo Response Trading, the South African Labour Court found that a supposed retrenchment had masked the real reason for dismissal. The employee had referred an unfair labour practice (ULP) dispute to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). This case exemplifies an automatic dismissal due to ULP.
Heightened responsibilities for employers amidst EEA
The Department of Employment and Labour (DoEL) has published the Employment Equity Regulations, 2025 under the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 (EEA), as amended. This was published together with the notice identifying national economic sectors and determining the sectoral numerical targets, effective from 15 April 2025.
Introverts and unconscious bias – recognising quiet performers
Leadership has been equated with charisma, assertiveness and a commanding presence for the longest time. The loudest voice in the room or the most outgoing personality often tends to dominate. This leaves introverts, those quieter and more reserved individuals, overlooked for leadership positions.
The new labour migration policy and its impact on skills access
On 29 May 2025, the Department of Employment and Labour published South Africa’s White Paper on the National Labour Migration Policy. The document outlines the government’s official approach to managing cross-border labour mobility. It also sets the framework for how foreign skills will be accessed in the future. The new labour migration policy will shape business decisions for years to come.
Constructive dismissal court ruling favours female pastor
A recent Labour Court judgment confirms that where employers fail to properly address grievances or mitigate the cause of an employee’s complaint, a constructive dismissal claim may succeed. In Makombe vs Cape Conference of the Seventh Day Adventists and Others, the Labour Court found that a pastor employed by the Cape Conference of Seventh Day Adventists (Cape Conference) experienced constructive dismissal.
The importance of the Employment Equity Amendment Act 2025
The Employment Equity Amendment Act (EEAA) 2025 marks a major step in South Africa’s effort to speed up workplace transformation and address persistent inequalities. A key change is the redefinition of a designated employer. Previously determined by both staff numbers and turnover, it now applies only to organisations with 50 or more employees, reducing the burden on small businesses.
