Havingtroublereadingthisemail? Viewitinyourbrowser

Newsletter-GEOGuardianEmployersOrganisation

ABSENTEEISMANDDESERTIONEmployersoftenconfuseabsenteeismwithdesertion.Ifanemployeeiswronglycharged,thiscouldresultinanunfair

dismissal.

Absenteeismisdefinedasanemployeebeingabsentfromworkwithoutpermissionwithoutavalidoracceptablereason.

Desertionoccurswhenanemployeeisabsentfromworkwiththeintentionofnotreturningtowork.Thereisnotimelimittothis.Becauseofthedifficultyofshowingthisintention,manyemployerscreatearulethatifanemployeeisabsentforaspecifiedperiod(e.g.5days)withoutnotifyingtheemployerthisisdeemedtobeadismissibleoffence.

Anemployeewhoisabsentwithoutpermissionforsay,sixweeks,andthenreturnstowork,shouldnotbechargedwithdesertionbutratherwithabreachofthecompanyrule:i.e.Beingabsentwithoutpermissionfromxdatetoxdatewithoutpermissionandwithoutnotifyingthecompany.

Mostdisciplinarycodeslistthepenaltyforbeingabsentwithoutpermissionfor3ormoredaysassummarydismissal.

Itisimportanttorememberthatwhenanemployeereturnstoworkafterbeingabsent,nomatterwhatperiod,beit6daysor6months,theemployermustgivetheemployeeanopportunitytoexplainthereasonsfortheabsence.Thisshouldbedoneataformaldisciplinaryenquiry.

Itcouldberegardedtobeanunfairdismissaliftheemployeeissimplytoldhehasbeendismissedwithoutbeinggivenanopportunitytoexplainthereasonforhisabsenceataformaldisciplinaryenquiry.

Itisadvisablethatwherepossible,theemployershouldcontacttheabsentemployee,preferablyinwriting(telegram,email,WhatsAppetc.)orbyphoneormessengertoestablishthereasonsfortheemployee’sabsence.

Inthiscorrespondencetheemployeeshouldbeadvisedthatheshouldreturntoworkimmediatelyandtoexplainhisabsence,failingwhichdisciplinaryactionmaybetakenagainsthimwhichcouldresultindismissal.

Shouldtheemployeereturntoworkpriortoanydisciplinaryactionbeingtakenagainsthim,theemployee’sreasonsfortheabsenceshouldbeinvestigated.Theemployeeshouldberequiredtoproducesatisfactoryproofofjustifiablereasonsforhisabsence.Theindividualcircumstancesoftheemployeemustalwaysbeconsidered.

Familyresponsibilityleave(i.e.familydeath,ifproven)canbegrantedretrospectively,asisthecasewithanillness.Theemployeewillstillhavetoexplainwhyhefailedtonotifytheemployeratthecommencementofsuchabsence.

Ifanemployeeisimprisonedforanoffence,thentheemployee'scontractcouldbeterminatedforinabilitytoreportforwork(i.e.breachofcontract).Howeverrecentcaselawindicatesthatimprisonmentdoesnotautomaticallyimplydismissal.

PointstoConsider:

Did the employee give a satisfactory reason for beingabsent?Doeshehaveapasttendencytobeabsent?Doeshehavedependency/family/maritalproblems?Doeshisfamilylivefaraway?Didhenotifytheemployerofhisabsence?Has the employee received counselling in the past forabsenteeism?Does thecompanyhaveawritten rule/procedure requiringthatanemployeemustnotifythecompanyifabsent?

Ifso,thenfailuretocomplycouldresultinactionforfailingtocomplywithprocedures.

Have you employed another person in theplaceoftheabsentee?

Ifyouneedtoreplacetheabsenteeassoonaspossiblebecauseofoperational requirements, it is advisable to first employ thereplacement on a temporary basis. If the employer employs areplacement immediatelyonapermanentbasisbeforedismissingtheabsentemployee, theabsenteecouldargue thathisdismissalwasafaitaccompli.Theemployeecouldclaimthattheemployer’sactions inemployingapermanent replacementbeforehearinghisexplanation,clearlyindicatedthattheemployerhadpre-judgedthecase.

AbsenteeismthroughimprisonmentImprisonmentessentiallyresultsintheemployeebeinginbreachofhiscontractofemployment.Thisisbecausetheemployeeisunableto provide labour to the employer. An employer does not have tokeepapositionopenindefinitelybutshouldhandleeachcaseonitsownmerits.

Forexample, ifapersonhasbeenincarceratedovertheweekendfor a domestic issue and is released on the following Tuesday, itwouldprobablynotbefairtodismisstheemployeeforsuchashortperiodofabsence.

If,however, theemployeeholdsacriticalpositionat thecompanyand is incarcerated foramonthor two, itmayverywell justify theemployee’stermination.

It is preferable to hold a hearing once the employee has beenreleased. It is important to deal with the employee’s absenteeismandtoratherterminatefortheemployee'sinabilitytoreturntowork(or unacceptable period of absence), rather than for the criminalconviction.

When an employee is released from jail, or is on bail, he shouldreport for work andmake his services available. Failure to do socouldamounttodesertion.

Can an employee be disciplined and havepaydeductedforabsenteeism?

Yes, both are permitted. The principle of “no work no pay” isaccepted ifservicesarenotprovided.Discipline is inresponseforbreachoftherulenottobeabsent.

Can the employer replace the absentemployeewithanotherworker?

If the employee returns, he could argue that the employer wasbiased in that he automatically assumed that the employee'sabsenteeismwasunjustified.

However, the employer might be justified in employing areplacementforoperationalrequirements.Itisadvisabletoemployapersononatemporaryorfixed-termcontractuntilthetruereasonfortheabsenteeismoftheemployeehasbeendetermined.

Should any questions arise from the above or further advice berequired, kindly contact the author of the above, Andre Rabe(ChairpersonGEO0824910708)forfurtherassistance.

RegardsAndreRabe

Although thePOPIActwas signed into lawa few years ago, it has takensome time for the InformationRegulator tobeappointedand for thePOPIregulations to be published. These were published in the GovernmentGazetteon14thDecember201842110,RG10897,GN1383.

Section114(1)oftheActstatesthat:

"All processing of personal information must within one year after thecommencementofthissectionbemadetoconformtothisAct".

Essentially,thismeansthatallbusinessesmustbecompliantbytheendof2019.Responsiblepersons*thatfailtocomplywiththePOPIActstandtobefineduptoR10000000orface10yearsinprison.

A“responsibleperson”meansapublicorprivatebodyoranyotherpersonwhich, alone or in conjunctionwith others, determines the purpose of andmeans for processing personal information. Ultimately the person heldresponsiblewillbetheManagingDirectororCEOoftheerrantcompany.

The GEO has spent the better of 2018 designing a POPI implementationprocess and is ready to provide this to members that are not POPIcompliant.

0861436436

27-02-2020

Contactus:Telephone:0861436436Email:geo@geo.org.za

InThisIssue

Employersmustproceedwithcautionwhendealingwithcasesofabsenteeismordesertion.ToavoidthepossibilityofbeingtakentotheCCMA,itisadvisabletoseekadvisefromGEO.

___________________GEOmembersareadvisedto subscribe to the CIRISinternet labour law advicesite. It provides valuableinformation on all mattersrelated to Labour Law.Contact Andre Rabe on0824910708 or email himonandrer@geo.org.za

___________________

Visitoursite:

www.geo.org.za

CIRISwebsite:www.cirisonline.net

E-LEARNING –INITIATINGDISCIPLINARYHEARINGSThebenefitsofthisonlinecourseare:

-Costeffective

novenue,foodortravellingcosts;

-Learnerpaced

delegatesworkthroughthematerialattheirownspeed;

-Noworkdisruption

delegatesatwork;

-Convenient

delegatescanpauseorcontinuethecourseatanystage;-Multipledevices

thecoursecanbepausedandcontinuedonotherdevicese.g.homePCorsmartphone;

-Contentcanbedownloaded;

-Contentcanbecustomised;

-Learnerprogressismonitoredandreportsprovided.Toseeademoofthecourseselectthefollowinglink:E-CourseInitiatingDisciplinaryHearings-PowerPoint

ToaccessthecoursecontactAndreRabeon0824910708oremail:andre@geo.org.za

WehavedesignedanE-Learningcoursecoveringhowtoinitiateprofessionaldisciplinaryhearings.Theonlinecourseisdesignedforanymanagerorsupervisorthatmayberequiredtoactasaninitiatorindisciplinaryhearings.