Public Sector Wage Talks (Podcast)

South Africa's 26th Commission for Employment Equity Annual Report reveals a dramatic 48.4% decline in employment equity reporting following legislative amendments, while introducing a new compliance certificate regime that fundamentally alters how employers access state business opportunities. With six constitutional challenges now before the courts and new sectoral numerical targets in force...

Mr Carl Francois Conradie (“Mr Conradie”) had been employed from 01 January 1993 until he retired on 31 January 2022. During his employment, he belonged to his employer’s pension fund, and monthly contributions were deducted from his salary. In August 2013, Mr Conradie transferred from his employer’s pension fund to join Fundsatwork Umbrella Pension Fund (the fund”).

A South African court examined whether an employer could recover over R2.5 million in salary payments from a former employee's pension fund, alleging he failed to work for nearly three years. The case tested the limits of statutory protections for retirement benefits and the evidentiary burden employers must meet when seeking to access pension funds under section 37D of the Pension Funds Act.

Major corruption schemes are rarely uncovered through a single piece of evidence, but rather through the accumulation of small, interconnected facts that reveal larger networks of misconduct. This article examines the strategic challenge organisations face when deciding whether to take immediate disciplinary action against an implicated employee or continue monitoring to expose the full extent of a corruption network. It explores how relationship mapping and coordinated investigation approaches can help org

South Africa's Department of Employment and Labour has briefed Parliament on regulatory gaps in the digital platform economy, signaling potential sector-specific interventions that may emerge before broader labour law reforms take effect in 2028. The briefing addresses worker classification, algorithmic management, and social protections for platform workers in e-hailing, delivery, and courier services.

South Africa's Employment Services Amendment Bill is set to open for public submissions in September 2026, with a closing date expected in early November. Employers of foreign nationals face potential regulatory changes and should begin preparing their submissions immediately to meet the anticipated deadline.

An experienced attorney at one of South Africa's Big Five law firms reflects on a pivotal conversation during her early career that shaped her perspective on balancing professional success with personal life. The discussion with her reporting director during her articles period left a lasting impression about navigating the demands of a legal career alongside family commitments.

The Labour Appeal Court (LAC) accepted that the employer had a genuine commercial rationale for restructuring but still found the dismissals substantively unfair because the employer could not defend the selection of the employees retrenched.

In South Africa, restraint of trade agreements remain enforceable after employment ends, regardless of whether termination occurs through resignation, dismissal, retrenchment, or retirement. A recent Labour Court case examined whether a retired branch manager could be bound by a two-year non-compete clause, revealing how courts assess the reasonableness and enforceability of such restraints when employees attempt to circumvent them through family members or related entities.

A South African Labour Court ruling confirms that male employees are equally protected under sexual harassment laws, even when the perpetrator is female. The judgment emphasizes that employers must treat such complaints with appropriate gravity and cannot rely solely on informal resolution mechanisms when serious harassment occurs. This case establishes critical precedents for workplace harassment policies and employer liability.