by Ivan Israelstam | Aug 3, 2015 | CCMA, Labour Law, Labour Law for Employers, Retrenchments
Some time ago asked by an employer to assist with preparing for a Labour Court review case. The employer had dismissed the employee for theft but the CCMA had forced the employer to reinstate him. I was puzzled by the CCMA’s decision because, on discussing the case...
by Ivan Israelstam | Jul 27, 2015 | Uncategorised
Can the employer can discipline an employee twice for the very same incident of misconduct? Under exceptional circumstances a second disciplinary process might be justified if the employer is able to present evidence that: Is new and has therefore not been presented...
by Ivan Israelstam | Jul 20, 2015 | Uncategorised
South African employers often lose at CCMA and bargaining councils in cases relating to fixed-term contracts. A key reason for this is that employers do not understand the legal purpose of fixed-term contracts and the circumstances under which they are safe to...
by Ivan Israelstam | Jul 13, 2015 | Uncategorised
The lodging of complaints by staff can be used as grounds neither for alleging incompatibility nor for dismissing employees. In the case of Jabari vs Telkom SA (Pty) Ltd (2006, 10 BLLR 924) the Labour Court, in explaining the nature of workplace...
by Ivan Israelstam | Jul 7, 2015 | Uncategorised
It is inherent in the nature of employment relationships that, as the employer is paying the employee for his services, he/she is obliged to be loyal to the employer and to devote his/her efforts to the interests of the employer. The employee should therefore carry...
by Ivan Israelstam | Jun 29, 2015 | Uncategorised
In order to optomise the corrective effect of discipline it needs to be implemented as swiftly as possible. This does not mean that the disciplinary process must be carried out hastily. It does mean that, psychologically and legally, unnecessary delays must be...
by Ivan Israelstam | Jun 23, 2015 | Uncategorised
Dismissing employees who have been arrested can be dangerous. It seems obvious to employers that, if an employee is arrested by the police he has ‘dismissed himself’. However, this mistaken belief is born from wishful thinking. Reasons for such wishful thinking...
by Ivan Israelstam | Jun 15, 2015 | Employees
The most important reason for employing people is the need for their skills. The question is whether the money expended in order to acquire and retain these employee skills should be seen as an expense or as an investment. Most frequently employers consider the money...
by Ivan Israelstam | Jun 2, 2015 | CCMA, Employees, Unfair Dismissals
Cross examination is used universally in courts and tribunals and gives an accused the opportunity to challenge his/her accusers. However, it is conterntious as to whether an accused employee at a disciplinary hearing has the right to cross examine evidence brought...
by Ivan Israelstam | May 26, 2015 | CCMA, Corporate, Employees, Labour Law
The Code of Good Practice: Dismissal (the Code) in Schedule 8 of the Labour Relations Act (LRA) has been, in effect, provided for in section 188 (2) in Chapter 8 of the LRA. This chapter provides for this Code as part of its purpose of ensuring that employers accede...
