Hiring foreign employees can add great value to your business, but it is essential to ensure that all employees are legally authorised to work in South Africa. Non-compliance with immigration legislation can expose employers to significant risks, including fines and legal consequences. Before employing a foreign national, keep the following in mind: A passport alone [...]
WHM Labour Law Advisors Recent announcements by the Minister of Home Affairs bring important updates for employers who employ foreign nationals in South Africa. These updates relate specifically to Zimbabwean Exemption Permits (ZEP) and Lesotho Exemption Permits (LEP). Extension of Zimbabwean and Lesotho Exemption Permits Zimbabwean Exemption Permits (ZEP) and Lesotho Exemption Permits (LEP) were [...]
As HR professionals advising businesses across industries, one of the most frequent compliance risks we see remains misunderstanding the National Minimum Wage (NMW) requirements. Each year, adjustments to the minimum wage introduce renewed legal obligations, and 2026 is no exception. At WHM HR Support Services, we often work with organisations that only discover non-compliance once [...]
As a consultant, this is a question I am asked often, usually after a post has already gone viral or a relationship at work has been damaged. We live in an always-online world. Employees post in the evenings, over weekends and from their personal devices, often believing that what they share has nothing to do [...]
Retrenchment is one of the most challenging situations any workplace can face for both employers and employees. It’s emotional, it’s complex, and it’s something no one wants to go through. But when handled correctly and transparently, it can be a fair process that respects everyone involved. In South Africa, retrenchments (also known as dismissals [...]
Let’s picture this: Lerato, a team leader at a logistics company, discovers that one of her drivers, Thabo, has been late three times in one month. Frustrated, she decides to “set an example” and dismiss him immediately after a short hearing. She followed the procedure — Thabo was informed of the charges, given a chance [...]
The Department of Employment and Labour recently published the new Code of Good Practice: Dismissal, effective 4 September 2025. This Code replaces the previous Schedule 8 guidelines under the Labour Relations Act and modernises how disciplinary and dismissal procedures should be applied in South African workplaces. For employers, understanding these updates is crucial [...]
As a labour consultant, I’ve handled dozens of disciplinary disputes, from standard absenteeism to complex misconduct. But one case stands out not just because of the outcome, but because of how tense and unpredictable the arbitration process became. The case involved a security officer who was dismissed for dereliction of duty & bringing the company [...]
In South Africa, the Labour Relations Act (LRA) 66 of 1995 provides clear guidelines on how disciplinary processes should be conducted in the workplace. One of the most critical principles that underpin fair labour practices is procedural fairness. Procedural fairness refers to the correct process that must be followed when disciplining an employee. Even [...]
