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 3 January 2022

South Africa Rand Money Notes Coins

Under the National Minimum Wage (NMW) Act, the National Minimum Wage Commission annually assesses and reviews the minimum wage. The minister of Employment and Labour, Thulas Nxesi, then determines an adjustment based on these recommendations.

While the government has argued that the national minimum wage can be used as a tool to lift more South Africans out of poverty, businesses have warned that further hikes would be untenable and lead to additional job losses.

Nxesi introduced the most recent minimum wage adjustment for South Africa in March 2021, taking the current total to R21.69 for each ordinary hour worked.

As in previous years, the adjustment provides exceptions for several worker groups, including:

  • Farmworkers are entitled to a minimum wage of R21.69 per hour;
  • Domestic workers are entitled to a minimum wage of R19.09 per hour;
  • Workers employed on an expanded public works programme are entitled to a minimum wage of R11.93 per hour.

The new recommendations

The majority of commissioners recommended that the national minimum wage be increased by 1% above inflation as measured by the consumer price index (CPI).

A minority recommended that the national minimum wage be increased by 1.5% above inflation as measured by the CPI.

All commissioners also recommended that the minimum wage for domestic workers be equalised to the national minimum wage in 2022, in line with a decision taken in 2021.

While the final totals would still need to be confirmed by labour minister Thulas Nxesi, this would take the minimum wage closer to R23/hour and see domestic workers earn a minimum wage of more than R20/hour for the first time.

Impact on businesses? 

The National Minimum Wage Commission has acknowledged legitimate concerns about the impact of the annual national minimum wage adjustments on employment in the country.

The national minimum wage adjustment also coincides with the current Covid pandemic, making it difficult to evaluate and isolate the impact of an increase in the national minimum wage.

Given the current economic climate in South Africa, the effects of the Covid-19 lockdown, and the recent losses due to violent looting in mid-2021, an increase to the NMW would be catastrophic to businesses and the economy in general, the National Employers Association of South Africa said in an October report.

“In a country such as South Africa, which is already struggling with unprecedented rates of unemployment, extreme poverty, over-burdened employers and business owners, and a veneer-thin trust in the government and its ability to care for its most vulnerable citizens, and unaffordable NMW will completely maim the already crippled economy, leaving employers, business owners, their employees and their dependents destitute.”

If employers cannot afford an increase, they will have no other choice but to reduce working hours or retrench their employees, it warned.

“What government seems to fail to understand is that when one employee is retrenched, it is not only that employee who suffers. In South Africa, we live in a dispensation where one worker is generally the only income generator in a family of four or five people. This means that they would all suffer the consequences of that one employee’s retrenchment.”

The fact that an employer may not appoint a person at a rate below the minimum wage, even with the consent of such a person, robs a potential employee from earning at least some sort of living and condemns him to a life of abject poverty, Neasa said.

“It would behove the government to reconsider its future stance on increasing minimum wages and take heed of the employers’ objections to increases. Their focus should be the avoidance of catastrophic future economic implications for the country and the rise of unemployment.

“It is time for the government to take a critical view on all the legislative measures, of which the NMW is only one, and determine which deters employment.”

by Sara Prosdocimi Tag:
#GTL2021 #futureofwork #labourmarket



The aim of ADAPT’s 2021 international conference was to examine the contradictions of the current labour market, trying to deconstruct them in order to rethink the value of work.

On the second day of the conference, through some legal, economic and sociological reflections that go beyond mere juxtapositions, an attempt was made to bring to the fore the economic and welfare dimension, to understand today’s meaning of work and to define “Work and its value (the institutional perspective)”, thanks to the contribution of Ilaria Armaroli (ADAPT), Bettina Schaller (WEC), Stijn Broecke (OECD) and Christina Behrendt (ILO).

Ilaria Armaroli focused on the role of industrial relations in the value of work: in particular, it was underlined how most problems of current labor law have only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. But the issues of the disputes upon markets and work can be traced back to the creation, redistribution of the value of work, and industrial relations, therefore, sought to solve these dilemmas. Actually, as Doellgast, Bidwell and Colvin argued in 2021 “The field of employment relations involves the study of employment, with a focus on how labor and management combine to create value and negotiate over its division, as well a show people experience the workplace”. Again, recalling J. W. Budd’s famous conceptualisations of work, industrial relations have served for a long time to release work from being just a curse, a necessary burden for human survival and maintenance, and a commodity, an abstract quantity of productive effort which can be bought and sold in the market. Because, as Polany said “labor is only another name for a human activity which goes with life itself, which in its turn is not produced for sale but for entirely different reasons, nor can that activity be detached from the rest of life”. In this sense, Armaroli underlined why it is so important to find new ways to assess the economic value of work and, at the same time, to acknowledge, respect and preserve different types of works such as reproductive and domestic work, and so to use the industrial relation as an instrument to solve the problems about the redistribution and the value of work.

Bettina Schaller (World Employment Confederation) started her speech from some insides of what the labor market looks right now. The question that she poses is: are we witnessing a “great resignation”? Actually, 41% of employees are considering leaving their current employer, quit rates are rising in levels never seen in years before and the trend which is recognized all over the world seems to be scarcity. Some 69% of employers report 2 difficulties in hiring, a factor which is fascinating because shortages are affecting all sectors, all industries all looking for workers right now. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the labor markets not only looking at the shortages happening, but also considering the effects of restrictions in working migration, or savings up made by workers that no longer want to return to working position with the same conditions as previously.

Of course, unemployment rates are not captured in their full extent by the pandemic restrictions on the labor market: at a global level, it is estimated that 70% of the global loss working force during the crisis is attributed to people becoming inactive (people who lost their work and are not actively searching for new jobs).

What keeps people away from work? Is it only a matter of choice, willingness, labor markets? It has been noticed that the value of work, the work-life balance now-a-days play a central role and boundaries between work and “life” are becoming more and more blurred. Money is no longer the only motivation to find a new job: the focus is on security, value, autonomy, flexibility. But also employees are expecting more from their workers, for example wellbeing, professional development, management.

Schaller affirmed that, perhaps, it is better to talk about great revaluation instead of great resignation.

Against this backdrop, another question is how HR services industry can create more value: many are the answers, such as supporting the transition to new economies; driving social purpose and social innovation, creating value by guaranteeing rights for workers; simplifying the increasing labor market complexity; acting as a solution provider in terms of risk management; delivering intermediations and making jobs markets working (creating value by contributing to economic growth).

Again, in this framework, different workers are involved: Stijn Broecke from OECD focused on group of workers who are highly valuable but are not highly valued, those who are vulnerable in some ways and have not the right recognition and protection. And, once more, the frame of what are the sources of vulnerability is very wide.

Firstly it is important to talk about the classification of the employment status of some of these workers: are they employees or self-employed? Referring to them in one way or in the other means different levels of regulations, protections, social protection, factors such as minim wage, holidays, the right to switch off, unionisations and collective bargaining and so on. To act in this issue of misclassification it necessary to make it easier or less costly for workers to challenge their employment status, or to allow labor authorities or union to take cases to courts or to act in prevention throughout inspectorates.

Secondly, strictly linked to the classification issue, it must be recognized that some workers do “live and act” in this “grey zone”. For this reason, it is important to identify groups of vulnerable self-employed workers to whom deciding which labor rights and protection must be extended and adapted; and, where necessary, to clarify and assign employer duties and responsibilities in order to fully protect those workers

November 30, 2021

 

by Bettina Schaller

Worker shortages have become an established challenge in labour markets and the Covid-19 pandemic has now exacerbated the situation by prompting a “Great Resignation”. But what is keeping workers from the labour market? And what is the value of these missing workers to our society and economies?

 

Certainly, the pandemic has led people to reflect on their lives and priorities. Microsoft’s 2021 Work Trend Index finds that 41% of workers are considering leaving their jobs and as unemployment rates fall, resignation rates are rising to levels not seen for years1.

Hiring is at a record high but so are difficulties in finding staff according to 69% of employers across 43 countries2. Pandemic-related factors such as fear of catching the virus and restrictions in worker migration have obviously had an impact, but labour markets have been tight for many years and data suggests that they show no signs of slowing. Meanwhile, over the past two years, labour force participation has fallen more than unemployment rates have risen. It is estimated that 70% of the global unemployment loss during the pandemic is due to people not actively seeking new employment having lost their work.

 

 

For a growing number of people this has been a conscious decision. They have realised that life is precious and want greater work/life balance. Many believe that their job prospects will improve in the future and are falling back on savings until the right opportunity comes along. When people decide to respond to a job offer, money is no longer the main factor. Security, employer values, purpose, opportunities to progress, autonomy and flexibility are increasingly important. Four in five workers don’t want to lose the flexibility they have enjoyed over the past two years and two in five are considering moving to a more flexible job.

 

And it doesn’t stop at flexibility. Less than 50% of workers are satisfied with their current career prospects. They want more in areas such as well-being, professional development and perks and expect their work to make them happy. Perhaps it’s not so much a Great Resignation as a Great Re-evaluation of what work means.

 

In the future, if employers are to attract the talents they need, they are going to have to take this into account and look to meet worker expectations. This is where the HR Services Industry has a role to play. In several ways, we can create more value in the world of work for everyone – individuals, society and businesses. We are committed to achieving this by supporting transitions to new economies, driving social purpose and social innovation, simplifying labour market complexity, providing risk management solutions and delivering responsible intermediation.

 

Let me give some examples. The OECD estimates that half of all adults are not engaged in adult learning, and the pandemic together with digitisation has amplified this. Millions of workers around the world take advantage of training schemes offered by our industry and, as the need to move to new occupations and sectors increases, so our career management and guidance services will become increasingly critical too. Job-to-job transitions are on average 30-50% faster when a career management firm is involved3.

 

Our industry is critical in keeping people attached to the labour market. 72% of agency workers remaining employed having started out with a job in the industry and the sector is effective in bringing unemployed and inactive people into the labour market – particularly for young people, a segment that has suffered disproportionately from the pandemic.

 

Accessing social protection has proved a particular challenge for some categories of workers during Covid-19. When it comes to accessing benefits such as unemployment pay, sick pay and health insurance, some gaps remain between employees on open-ended, full-time contracts and other types of employment relationships. In our sector, we havelong advocated for similar levels of protection for all workers, irrespective of their employment status, and we have developed various schemes that serve as best practice models. For example, agency workers often benefit from sectoral supplementary provisions to top-up their access to benefits, with social partners engaging in collective bargaining and developing sector funds and solutions such as portable rights to improve access to safety nets, training funds or schemes to improve access to health insurance.

 

Our industry also contributes to economic growth, by creating formal jobs and thus lowering unemployment. It provides an early indicator of where the economy is heading and most recently saw positive growth in Q1 2021 signalling a turning point, even though the year-on-year figures were still negative.

 

In sum, Covid-19 has accelerated the deep transformations already taking place in our labour markets. With expectations changing, the value of work is changing too and the HR services industry has a vital role to play in helping people and organisations adapt to new realities and redefine the value of work.

 

This opinion piece reflects the presentation given at ADAPT’s 2021 International Conference held in Bergamo on 24-26 November.

 

Bettina Schaller

President, World Employment Confederation

World Employment Confederation-Europe Public Affairs Manager

@beschabo



63% of employees with a bad manager are thinking of leaving their company within the next 12 months.

We asked respondents the following question: Rate your manager on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being a “terrible” manager and 5 being a
“world-class” manager.

An encouraging 65% of respondents considered their managers “world-class” or “good.” Only 13% said their managers were
“terrible” or “not-so-great.” The remaining 22% chose “average.”

Of the employees with bad managers (“terrible” or “not-so-great”), 63% are thinking of quitting in the next year. Only 27%
of employees with good managers (“world-class” or “good”) said the same.

“I’m thinking of leaving my company within the next 12 months.”


 

“Being part of a fast-growing company, I cannot afford to lose our people and the institutional knowledge they hold, so I need to stay close to their needs and identify challenges before they become unsolvable problems. Customizing my management style to each one of my team members helps to get them engaged with their job and the mission we are pursuing. Showing interest in their success and challenges by exploring these topics during a stay interview increases their knowledge of being appreciated and allows me and other leaders to solve any issues before an exit is needed.”

Maribel Olvera | SVP at The Predictive Index
 

The No. 1 skill employees feel their manager lacks is communication.

We presented respondents with a list of common managerial skills and asked them to select three their managers lacked. They chose: “Effective communicator” (18%), “Drives team morale” (17%), and “Asks for feedback” (17%).

When we compare this year’s results with the results from our last People Management Report we see that communication has shot up four spots on the list, from number five to number one.

Have managers gotten worse at communicating over the past two years? It’s possible. More likely, though, forced remote and hybrid work has opened employees’ eyes to the need for clear communication and information sharing. Remote employees often feel “out of the loop,” and the problem only gets worse when some team members are working from the office.

Top 5 skills managers lack


 

36% of employees say their manager is burned out.

While 36% of respondents said “My manager seems burned out at work,” the percentage only increased when asked about their own burnout (40%) and their team members’ burnout (45%).

Percentage of employees who agree with the statement

The lack of communication is even more pronounced among respondents with burned-out managers.

 

Next, we examined these most lacking skills across two groups: employees with burned-out managers, and those without.

Of the employees whose managers are not burned-out, only 12% cited “Effective communicator” as a skill their manager lacks. That percentage jumped to 25% among employees with a burned-out manager.

Good communication takes effort. It’s hard work. And when managers are running on empty, they don’t have the energy to do things like tailor their natural communication style to meet each employee’s preferences.

 
Employees who believe their manager lacks effective communication
 

Individual contributors are the least engaged.

 

We also asked respondents about their current level of engagement. Consistent with the 2021 Talent Optimization Report, individual contributors are least engaged (67% are “engaged”), followed by managers (73%).

 
“I feel engaged in my current role.”
 
 

“Many Individual contributors get energy from being around colleagues even if they don’t depend on them to complete their job. Remote work has eliminated the opportunity to engage with colleagues daily, thus creating a ‘Meaningful Interaction Bubble.’ Leaders must be proactive to ensure individual contributors get enough interaction to maintain energy and purpose in their work.”

John Eades | CEO at LearnLoft

 

73% of companies are currently hiring.

 

Most employers aren’t just looking to retain their teams amid The Great Resignation, they’re also looking to expand them. Between backfilling roles and growing teams, hiring managers and HR teams are going to be very busy (if they aren’t already). Seventy-three percent of respondents indicated their companies are currently hiring.

According to the 2021 Talent Optimization Report, 73% of companies plan to hire more than 100 people this year. And so the stakes continue to rise. If confident leadership and cohesive teams weren’t critical to the mission before, they are now.

 
Is your company currently hiring and/or growing?
 

68% of companies have or plan to have some hybrid teams
moving forward.

 

We asked respondents whether their company had any hybrid teams—teams composed of in-office and remote workers. 59% of respondents said their company has hybrid teams (38% have “a few” hybrid teams while 28% said “most” teams are hybrid). Additionally, 9% said “No, but we will in the future.”

 
Does your company have hybrid teams (a combination of in-office and remote employees)?

Choose all that apply

 
 

“Businesses fundamentally changed when COVID hit. They had to pivot quickly to not only send their employees home, but move all processes and strategies (hiring, onboarding, internal communications, marketing, selling, etc.) to an online model. With the world opening back up, there’s no reason to assume that we would (as businesses, or people) return to a world before COVID. Many businesses learned how to streamline, how to become more efficient, and how to better trust and enable their employees during COVID. It makes sense that hybrid teams will
become the new norm, for businesses who can make it work.”

Ashley Levesque | VP at Banzai

.......................
Full report compiled and published by The Predictive Index.

 

 

 13 November 2021
Mask Smartphone Online

South Africa’s courts recently dealt with the case of an employee who did not follow Covid-19 regulations at work and was subsequently dismissed.

In this case, the employee was an assistant butchery manager employed at the applicant, noted Werksmans Attorneys.

He was also a member of the applicant’s in-house ‘Coronavirus Site Committee’ and was responsible for, among others, informing other employees of the procedure to be followed if they were exposed to Covid-19 as well as symptoms they should be aware of.

The employee used to travel to and from work with a colleague who had exhibited Covid-19 symptoms and was booked off from work for four days. His colleague was admitted to a hospital a few days later and was told that he had tested positive for the virus.

At the time that his colleague initially fell ill, the employee began experiencing chest pains, headaches and coughs. He was booked off work between 6 – 10 July 2020. He returned to work despite his symptoms, and even after he became aware that his travelling partner and colleague tested positive for Covid-19.

The employee underwent a Covid-19 test on 5 August 2020 and was informed on 9 August 2020 that he had tested positive. However, the employee had still reported for work on 7, 9 and 10 August 2020. In fact, he personally came to the employer’s premises to hand in his positive results.

The employee was observed on video footage at the workplace hugging a colleague a day after he had tested positive. The colleague he was hugging had recently experienced post-surgery complications. The video footage also showed the employee walking around the workplace without a mask.

Dismissed

Werksmans noted that the employee was charged with:

  • Gross misconduct relating to his alleged failure to disclose to his employer that he went for a Covid-19 test and was awaiting his results;
  • Gross negligence in that after his Covid-19 test result came back positive, he continued working and had therefore put the lives of his colleagues at risk;
  • Furthermore, during this period it was alleged that he had failed to abide by the health and safety protocols in the workplace.

The employee was subsequently dismissed for his actions. Following his dismissal, the employee referred an unfair dismissal dispute to the CCMA on the grounds, among others, that he had not been provided with any clear direction or instruction from the employer and that he was ‘subjected to victimisation’.

The CCMA held that the employee was required to inform the employer that he underwent a Covid-19 test and was guilty of failing to report his test.

The employee was also found to be grossly negligent and ‘extremely irresponsible’ as he had reported for duty after he received a positive Covid-19 test result, failed to inform the employer of the same, hugged fellow employees and walked around the workplace without a mask on.

However, the CCMA held that in the circumstances, the sanction of dismissal was not appropriate considering the employer’s disciplinary code, Werksmans said.

“The conduct, as exhibited by the employee called for the sanction of a final written warning in terms of the disciplinary code.

“As the employer could not justify the sanction of dismissal, the CCMA held that it was substantively unfair and ordered that the employee be reinstated without back-pay and a final written warning be placed on his record.”

Labour Court’s ruling

On review, the Labour Court held that the findings made by the CCMA commissioner were entirely disconnected from the evidence that was placed before him.

“The Commissioner had concluded that the employee’s actions were ‘extremely irresponsible’ in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and this, the court stated, should have confirmed the sanction of dismissal and that the employer’s disciplinary code was merely a guideline insofar as issued of sanctions were concerned,” Werksmans said.

Ultimately, the court held that the dismissal of the employee was appropriate given the fact that:

  • He was aware that he was in contact with a person who had tested positive for Covid‑19 and had himself experienced symptoms;
  • He had endangered the lives of everyone at the workplace including his colleagues, their families and communities;
  • He was a member of the ‘Coronavirus Site Committee’, he should have easily recognised his Covid-19 symptoms, and should have known what to do when in contact with exposed to someone who had tested positive for Covid-19;
  • His conduct was inconsiderate and nonchalant in that he ignored all health and safety protocols in the workplace;
  • He walked around the workplace without a mask and hugging colleagues, thereby placing everyone he had been in contact with at great risk;
  • He did not show any form of contrition on his part. He was also dishonest in that he sought to conceal the date upon which he received his Covid-19 test results.

The court concluded that at no point was the employee victimised. In fact, all the evidence put forward by the employer pointed to the employee being grossly negligent, reckless and dishonest. Therefore, the trust and working relationship between the employer and employer could no longer be sustainable.

The court set aside the commissioner’s award and held that the employee’s dismissal was substantively fair.

“This case emphasises the obligation placed on employees to always abide by Covid-19 health and safety protocols in the workplace, as the failure to do so may result in termination of their employment,” Werksmans said.

  • Commentary by Jacques van Wyk (director) and Andre van Heerden (senior associate) at Werksmans Attorneys.

 

DISCLAIMER: All opinions in this column reflect the views of the author(s), not of EURACTIV Media network.

By Dr. Michael Freytag and Menno Bart | World Employment Confederation-Europe

 Oct 26, 2021

[Eldar Nurkovic/Shutterstock]

Ongoing attempts both at the European and national levels to restrict agency work risks jeopardizing the key contribution that the sector can make to the recovery of European economies and the sustainability of their labour markets.

Menno Bart is a Member of the Executive Committee of the World Employment Confederation-Europe and Dr Michael Freytag is Public Affairs Manager at the World Employment Confederation-Europe.

The private employment services industry is a key actor in the European economies, helping to match demand and supply of labour, managing labour market risks and fostering more inclusive and dynamic labour markets. This positive role of our industry has been demonstrated again in the past months, as economic activity in the agency work sector showed a fast and strong recovery as the Covid-19 measures were eased, reaching pre-crisis levels in several European countries.

Yet, we see more and more attempts both at the European and national levels to restrict agency work, often motivated by the willingness to address working conditions of agency workers and to maintain/reinforce the temporary nature of agency work. This was a key element in the reforms in Germany that introduced a maximum length of assignments for temporary agency work and in Italy. Discussions on the temporary character of agency work and the protection of agency workers are also key elements of national discussions on agency work regulation in Spain, where there is a current debate around the range of labour contracts used in the agency work industry and in Sweden.

The private employment services sector fully supports appropriate agency work regulation in Europe. Providing decent and meaningful work is at the heart of our mission. There is already a wide array of EU regulations covering our sector: the Directive on temporary agency work, the Directives on Health and Safety at work, the Posting of Workers Directive and EU legal instruments regulating the protection of third-country nationals. As World Employment Confederation-Europe, we consider that this framework is adequate and up-to-date. There is no need to amend or revise it.

At the same time, EU Directives can only unfold their full potential in unlocking the economic and social contribution of the temporary agency work and in ensuring adequate protection of agency workers if they are correctly transposed, applied and enforced at a national level. For the Directive on temporary agency work, for instance, this means that national regulation needs to be appropriate, and any unjustified restrictions must be lifted. At present, the agency work industry in Europe is still facing many unjustified restrictions that limit its contribution to more inclusive labour markets, such as sectoral bans, the strict maximum length of assignments or restrictions on the range of labour contracts that can be offered to agency workers. Progress should be achieved in this area by reviewing existing, national regulations and working jointly at the national level to remove unjustified restrictions.

A second, equally important component of the Directive on temporary agency work is the principle of equal treatment. When assessing the implementation of the Directive in 2014, the European Commission concluded that the principles of equal treatment and equal pay have been correctly transposed by all EU Member States. Based on the Directive, derogations remain possible through collective labour agreements and this option is being used by several European countries. For example, when it comes to pay, derogations are allowed in the case of open-ended contracts, providing pay between assignments. The Posting of Workers Directive extends the protection granted by the Directive on temporary agency work to agency workers who move across borders in the EU single market when providing a service. These European rules ensuring the protection of agency workers, continue to be appropriate and we fully supported them.

The World Employment Confederation-Europe also encourages further dialogue and exchange between sectoral social partners at the EU and national levels to ensure that the dual objective of the Directive on temporary agency work-appropriate regulation of the sector and protection of agency workers – is reached. Reforms and changes in national regulation on temporary agency work should always be assessed in the light of the guiding principles of the Directive on temporary agency work. In many European countries, sectoral social partners have been committed to settling pay and working conditions for agency workers. An important role is played in this context by bipartite funds in the area of training, working conditions and social protection, which play a prominent role for example in The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy and Spain.

With regard to work mobility and the provision of services within the EU, the World Employment Confederation-Europe supports the EU Directives that are in place. The focus should be laid here on the application and enforcement of the existing acquis and on the dialogue between social partners, national authorities and EU bodies, such as the European Labour Authority and the European Platform tackling undeclared work. The World Employment Confederation-Europe has observer status at the Platform tackling undeclared work and is an alternate member of the Stakeholder Group of the European Labour Authority, thus contributing actively to discussions on the enforcement of existing EU law to ensure the protection of agency workers.

As Europe comes out of the Covid-19 crisis, actions that will support recovery are critical. Allowing the private employment services sector to fully play its role in fostering more dynamic, inclusive and adaptable labour markets is one of them. Only if this approach is followed, can our industry – and specifically agency work services – continue to be a key partner for not only recovery but also to further reform our labour markets and make them more resilient for the “new normal”.

by Londiwe Buthelezi

 
 
The Deloitte building in Midrand. Photo: Atterbury
The Deloitte building in Midrand. Photo: Atterbury
 
 
  • Deloitte Africa is formally allowing staff to split their working time between any of the Deloitte offices and remote locations of their choice.
  • Deloitte says even before the onset of Covid-19, its views on the future of work were beginning to change.
  • The auditing firm says adapting to the remote working worlds is critical for companies to attract and retain skilled professionals who want more work-life balance.   

Deloitte Africa has officially adopted a hybrid working model. All its staff members will be allowed to split their working time between any Deloitte offices, at their clients' premises or any remote location of their choice.

 

This means someone who worked in the new Deloitte SA Midrand head office can move to any town in SA or even to Mauritius if they can service their clients from there. 

"This will change how our work is done and where it is done," said Deloitte Africa's Managing Partner for 'people and purpose', Justine Mazzocco.

Deloitte said its approach is also driven by the desire to reduce carbon emissions by cutting down travel and commuting, including air travel for servicing clients and working across different locations. 

Mazzocco said the auditing firm's focus will be on supporting people as they transition and try to get the right balance between in-person and virtual work. This will be a particularly delicate balance given how the work of auditing firms has come under scrutiny in the past few years. 

Deloitte has not yet clarified whether this will only affect client services and consulting staff or if auditing partners can also work from anywhere. But at least staff still has to spend some time in their clients' premises which means they can still physically count and audit what they need to.

Deloitte said its hybrid working model will be client-focused. It will move with clients based on the nature of their business and their needs too. 

 

Financial institutions are leading the way in taking a permanent stance on whether their staff will return to the office or now. Earlier this month, PwC offered all of its 40 000 US client services employees to work virtually and live anywhere they want.

In the banking sector, Nedbank and Absa previously told Fin24 that their approach is if any person's work can be done from home, it should be done from home. Nedbank said its Property Portfolio division has made plans to accommodate a 60/40 split between people who work from the office and remotely at any given time.

Mazzocco said even before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Deloitte's views on the future of work were beginning to change.

"The pandemic has accelerated this transformation, forcing dramatic changes in how our people work and engage with the firm and each other. We believe Deloitte's hybrid working approach and our wider efforts to transform work will benefit both our clients, our people and climate goals," said Mazzocco.  

The auditing firm said technology now allows workers to interface and collaborate from remote locations. So, adapting to these changes is critical for companies to attract and retain skilled professionals, as the pandemic has made workers seek more flexibility, higher job satisfaction and work-life balance.  

...
originally posted on Fin24

 

24 October 2021

Speaking to Michael Avery in the latest episode of BusinessTalk, Barrick said that internationally there has been growing talk of a ‘great resignation’ as the pandemic has led employees across the world to weigh up their employment options and consider whether they actually enjoy their work.

While this trend has not hit South Africa in a meaningful way as yet, it is likely to be seen more clearly in the near future, Barrick said.

While South Africa faces a record high unemployment rate, which hit 34.4% in the last quarter (Q2 2021), there is still a dearth of skills in certain sectors. This means highly skilled South Africans have the opportunity to be more discriminant in the work they choose to take on post-pandemic.

“It is not about people leaving the country per se. It is about people changing their jobs because they have rethought or reimagined their career and what is important to them,” she said.

“I think the pace that we have been operating at (during the pandemic) has been unsustainable, and so we are seeing more organisations addressing mental health and wellness as being locked in your home has been very tough on many people.”

Barrick said that this had been exacerbated for professionals who have had children homeschooling during the lockdown, as well as having to deal with other home-based responsibilities while still trying to work.

“Your workday is not an 08h00 to 17h00 day. It’s 08h00 to 17h00, followed by a pause, a second job of dealing with your family, and then restarting work at 20h00 or 21h00.”

Barrick said that this immense pressure has led people to evaluate exactly what they want to be doing, resulting in staff turnover.

“We are seeing a lot of international companies looking to South Africa for skills, which gives contractors the opportunity to work on international projects and not leave the country.”

 

12 October 2021

“The president calls on all registered voters to use the opportunity of the public holiday to exercise their democratic right and civic duty by voting in this election that empowers citizens to elect new leadership and influence service delivery where they live,” the presidency said in a statement on Monday (12 October).

“Voters are reminded as well that they will be able to cast their votes only at the polling stations in wards where they are registered. In the event that voters may consider travel, they will not be able to transfer their votes to voting stations away from their designated wards.”

“The president urges voters to ensure that they adhere to the Covid-19 health regulations as they exercise their vote,” it said.

Ramaphosa’s approval of the public holiday takes South Africa’s total public holidays in 2021 to 15 – including an additional two days off to celebrate public holidays which fall over a weekend.

The Public Holidays Act (Act No 36 of 1994) determines that whenever any public holiday falls on a Sunday, the Monday following on it shall be a public holiday.

This means that 22 March 2021 and 27 December 2021 are additional public holidays in terms of the Act. The public holidays for 2021, according to the official government proclamation, are as follows:

  • 1 January: New Year’s Day
  • 21 March: Human Rights Day
  • 22 March: Public holiday
  • 2 April: Good Friday
  • 5 April: Family Day
  • 27 April: Freedom Day
  • 1 May: Workers’ Day
  • 16 June: Youth Day
  • 9 August: National Women’s Day
  • 24 September: Heritage Day
  • 1 November: National elections*
  • 16 December: Day of Reconciliation
  • 25 December: Christmas Day
  • 26 December: Day of Goodwill
  • 27 December: Public holiday

Consecutive public holidays can significantly impact working arrangements and shifts, especially in workplaces that run a 24/7/365 operation. And while a ‘day off’ can impact economic productivity, it can help stave off fatigue-related issues.

With the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions likely to remain in place until the end of 2021, businesses should also be aware of the dates that workers are likely to apply for days off to maximise their leave time.

Employees are also likely to take advantage of the long weekends – with 1 November set to fall on a Monday in 2021.

 

28 September 2021

The data shows that basic salary/wages paid to employees increased by R7.3 billion (1.1%) from R646.7 billion in March 2021 to R653.9 billion in June 2021.

This was mainly due to increases in the business services, trade, manufacturing, transport, construction and electricity industries. However, a decline was reported in the mining and community services industries.

Year-on-year, basic salary/wages increased by R55.2 billion between June 2020 and June 2021.

Bonus and overtime paid to employees decreased by R7.4 billion (-10.8%) from R68.5 billion in March 2021 to R61.2 billion in June 2021, StatsSA said.

The average salary paid to employees in the formal sector was up marginally by 1.7% quarter on quarter from R23,127 in February 2021 to R23,526 in May 2021. This is 9.7% higher compared to the same period in 2020.

By comparison, the latest salary data from the BankservAfrica Take-home Pay Index shows that the average salary for employees after-tax is R12,129.

BankservAfrica pointed out that average salaries during the height of the Covid-19 first wave ended up higher than usual.

Lower paid casual workers bore the brunt of the cost-cutting by large companies at that stage, while higher-paid monthly employees did not suffer the same level of reductions.

“So, in that context, the average take-home pay for July 2021 is robust, despite staying on the same level. The number of people receiving a paycheck did not change significantly between June and July either. The monthly equivalent number of payments made declined by less than -0.1% and by R1,092 in value from June 2021,” the group said.

Job losses 

The QES data also shows that jobs in the formal non-agricultural sector decreased by 86,000 in the second quarter of 2021, bringing the total number of persons employed in the formal non-agricultural sector in South Africa to approximately 9.57 million.

This was largely due to decreases in the following industries:

  • Community services (-65,000),
  • Manufacturing (-15,000),
  • Construction (-7,000),
  • Electricity (-1,000)
  • Business services (-1,000).

Full-time employment decreased by 17,000 jobs year-on-year between June 2020 and June 2021. Part-time employment also decreased, with 59,000 fewer jobs quarter-on-quarter, from 1,050,000 in March 2021 to 991,000 in June 2021.

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