‘Advice and Tips’ Archives
SARS »
Question: I work on commission only (sales rep) however it's a pre-paid net commission, my letter of appointment states it's declared as a drawing and is not initially taxed. It will be taxed when the actual commission is earned, calculated and declared on a payslip. In my interview I showed them my payslips and what I need to net each month - [...]
Missing Stock and Resignation »
Question: The Company that i work for gave a 50% salary without any prior discussion or notification. We either had to accept that or we were asked to leave, so i resigned. In my possession was stock of the company which I returned on my last of work. I waited to get paid from them now 2 weeks down the line after my stock was checked there is [...]
Formal Written Grievance »
Question: My company has singled me and some others out for a salary reduction. No other staff have been advised of cuts. I have received a salary increase 2 months ago with a letter from our group managing director (signed). They also want to move me to a sales position entirely different from what what I currently do as a IT administrator [...]
Summarily Dismissed »
Question: I was summarily dismissed from my company after an accident with a company vehicle. I offered to pay for the damages on a monthly basis but was told that the company no longer had accident insurance on their vehicles and could not afford to fix the bakkie. What are my rights concerning severance pay, company debts etc? Is it true [...]
Freelance Recruitment Agency – Affiliations »
Question: I have my own freelance recruitment agency in South Africa. I would like to know the legal requirements, should I want to open another branch in a different country. I will be making use of freelance recruiters in the specific country. Do I need to be part of any affiliations? Answer: You would have to adhere to that [...]
Unpaid Suspension »
Question: Quick question please - I wanted to find out if there are any terms and conditions that make unpaid suspension lawful or not , or is it a straight forward type of punishment that can't be disputed? Answer: Unpaid suspension can be metered out as a sanction from a formal enquiry. This is an accepted form of disciplinary action [...]
Accure Leave Whilst on Maternity Leave »
Question: I am going on maternity leave. Do you accrue leave whilst on maternity leave? I had my last baby in the UK and I accrued leave whilst on maternity leave. (more...)
Salary Deductions »
Question: Is there a limit (like a certain % of an employees salary) on the amount an employer must deduct from an employees salary in respect of garnish orders? We have an employee that up to date has 4 garnish orders from the same attorney which amounts to R1200-00 per month. Her basic salary is R5000-00 and they made her sign another one [...]
Racism, Discrimination and Politics »
Question: I work in an architectural office. Our office is divided into studios. I work in the urban Design Studio. My boss / supervisor is a white male, middle aged. He is a devout Christian and staunch republican. I am Jewish and a-political. My supervisor has made political comments for the past year. They are usually remarks about how [...]
Restraint of Trade – Senior Staff »
Question: Is a restraint of trade applicable to all staff, or only senior staff? Can you be fired for not signing a restraint of trade? (more...)
Reduce an Employees Salary »
Question: I am currently permanently employed in the IT industry. I was promoted and transferred, last year October, to the Eastern Cape as a Team Leader - I was previously a Field Technician in KZN, my salary was adjusted accordingly. As I was relocating I negotiated R5000 more than the standard Team leader gets in my company. Upon [...]
Pay Minimum Wage Without Overtime »
Question: I am opening a new restaurant in East London. Is it possible to hire waiters/kitchen staff for a 48 hour week and still pay minimum wage without overtime? (more...)
Difficult Boss »
Question: After being with the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council for three years I signed an offer for growth purposes with a Consultancy Firm in February this year (2009). I was hired as an executive assistant to one of the Directors there on a 6 month probation period. The person I worked for has had a sad history with [...]
Unpaid Leave Advice »
Question: Good afternoon Craig I really hope you have a simply answer for me. During the month of June I took the afternoon of Friday, 19 June and Saturday morning, 20 June unpaid leave - this amounts to 10.5 hours. Instead of showing it as a deduction my employer deducts it from my basic salary, minimizing my salary amount, not showing the unpaid [...]
Justice in Termination »
Question: I was employed by the department of justice for period of 10months as contract employee. without any reason given to me my contract was terminated. What do I do? (more...)