Tag: Department of Labour (DOL)

With unemployment figures at an all-time high and South Africa facing numerous economic challenges, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and the Department of Labour (DoL) are again taking steps to curb the employment of illegal foreign nationals living in South Africa.

To date, the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s Temporary Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) has paid over R15,7-billion to 2,288,295 in its COVID-19 relief payments. Many employers, however, are still having their applications rejected. Small, seemingly insignificant discrepancies in submissions are seen as mistakes and will lead to the submission being rejected.

The Job Seekers Exemption Certificate (JSEC) idea has been around for a long time. It was first presented to President Thabo Mbeki, who passed it on to the Department of Labour. But nothing was done with it. It seems that it is only when you are unemployed that you can understand that it will be like holding a piece of gold in your hand.

It is understandable that business owners feel panicky because of the toll Corona is taking on business income. However, many businesses realise that if they implement wholesale retrenchments they will not only lose valuable skills but will also reduce the buying power of the public. This would then further reduce the business’s ability to earn an income.

The role of job evaluation, also referred to as job grading is still poorly understood in the corporate sector. Job evaluation give companies the information they need to fairly, accurately and competitively determine the salaries of staff - amongst many other functions.

The Department of Labour has issued draft regulations that will eventually open the door for refugees and asylum seekers to claim benefits from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).

Last month the Department of Labour (DOL) released a media brief noting that the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has requested that the DOL investigate the growing practice of deliberate circumvention of labour laws amongst employers.