Nobody is ever really ready for a retrenchment. One morning your manager asks you to step into a meeting you were not expecting, and the words 'operational requirements' and 'Section 189 process' start appearing in sentences directed at you. In that moment, most employees...
Public Holidays and Your Pay: A Complete Guide to Section 18 of the BCEA
This guide explains Section 18 in full: exactly what it says, what each of the four payment scenarios means in practice, who is covered, who is not, how to calculate what you are owed at any salary level, the special rules for shift workers...
UIF Maternity Benefits South Africa 2026: How Much You Get, How to Claim, and Every Form You Need
Last updated: March 2026 | Reading time: 16 minutes | Based on the Unemployment Insurance Act, 2026 UIF regulations, and confirmed benefit rates | For: Employed women in South Africa preparing for or currently on maternity leave If you are pregnant and employed in...
Sectoral Determination 14 Explained: Hospitality Worker Rights in South Africa (2026)
If you work in a hotel, restaurant, guest house, game lodge, coffee shop, pub, fast food outlet, or any related hospitality business in South Africa, Sectoral Determination 14 (SD14) governs your employment relationship. It sets the minimum standards for your wages, working hours, leave,...
How to Go to the CCMA — A Plain-Language Step-by-Step Guide for Employees
The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration — the CCMA — is the single most important institution for South African workers who have a dispute with their employer. It is free to use. You do not need a lawyer to start the process. And...
Unfair Dismissal in South Africa: What It Is, What Your Rights Are, and How to Go to the CCMA
Being dismissed from your job is one of the most stressful things that can happen to you. Whether it came after a disciplinary process you felt was unfair, without any warning at all, or through a resignation that you were effectively forced into, the...
Understanding South Africa’s New Code of Good Practice: Dismissal — What Workers Need to Know
If you're a worker in South Africa, you should care about how and when an employer can dismiss you. Dismissal is one of the most serious actions an employer can take, and in September 2025, the rules changed. The new Code of Good Practice:...
Labour Law Q&A: What You Can and Can’t Do During Your Notice Period in South Africa
Imagine this: you’ve accepted a better job, or you feel something in your current role is no longer working. You type out that resignation email and hit send. But then questions race through your mind: “Do I have to keep working till the very...
The 2025 Code of Good Practice on Dismissal: What Changed and Why It Matters
Dismissals are one of the most fraught interactions between employer and employee. A decision that goes wrong can damage careers, reputations, and trust. On 4 September 2025, the South African government gazetted a new Code of Good Practice on Dismissal, officially replacing the older...
Parental leave in South Africa just changed. Here’s what it means for families and workplaces right now
South Africa’s top court has rewritten the rules on parental leave. On Friday, 3 October 2025, the Constitutional Court confirmed that the old setup in the Basic Conditions of Employment Act was unconstitutional because it treated different kinds of parents differently. The Court then...
Understanding Sunday Pay in South Africa: Your Rights Under the BCEA
As most of you will already know, in South Africa, workers’ rights are protected by the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA). This act essentially outlines all employee rights and inm section 16 it specifically outlines how employees should be compensated for working on...
Maternity Leave South Africa
So you are expecting a baby in the near future. Emotions are high, and your excitement for this new addition to your family is unexplainable. The last thing you need during this time is work-related stress! Fortunately, South African labour law is very clear...
Understanding Your Rest Period Rights: Section 15 of the BCEA
If you are working in South Africa, you have probably wondered, “How much rest time am I supposed to get between work shifts or at the end of the week?” or “Can my boss make me work seven days straight?” These are all really...
Disciplinary measures available for employers
If an employee fails to follow the rules/regulations or performance standards of the company, what are the disciplinary measures available for employers? This is a question I recently received from a manager of a small company. And after answering him directly via E-Mail I thought...
17 Basic Employee Rights
The BCEA (Basic Conditions of Employment Act) makes a few basic employee rights exceptionally clear. It deals with things like hours of work, leave, payment of remuneration, termination of employment, and methods of enforcement. Every employee should know their rights, and in fact, your...