Employment equity and affirmative action apply to all designated employers and their employees. Designated employers are employers who:
- have 50 or more employees
- have less than 50 employees but whose annual turnover is the same as or more than the amounts in Schedule 4 of the Employment Equity Act
- have been declared a designated employer in terms of a collective agreement.
Monitoring employment equity promotes equal opportunities and fair treatment of all employees. Unfair discrimination must be eliminated and affirmative action measures must be implemented to redress the disadvantages in employment experienced by designated groups. Their equitable representation must be ensured in all occupational categories and levels in the workplace.
Quick wins
- My company complies with the employment equity legislation
- My company has a valid employment equity plan
- My company has submitted a report to the Department of Labour
- My company has an employment equity committee; we hold regular meetings and keep records
If a designated employer fails to submit a report, fails to notify and give reasons for being unable to submit the report, or if their reasons are false or invalid, the Director-General may apply to the Labour Court to give the employer a fine. Fines vary from R1.5 to R2.7 million based on the severity of the contravention.
The EE Department of Labour online service opens from 1 September 2016 to 15 January 2017. NOVA specialises in advising and helping businesses to ensure you are fully compliant with employment equity. Contact us to help you with your submissions.
The deadline for submissions is 15 January 2017.
What is the impact on your business?
Following employment equity guidelines can improve your business’s BBEEE scorecard, ensuring that your business can thrive in the current market.
For more information go to: www.labour.gov.za
Employment Equity Act No 47 of 2013: Employment Equity Amendment Act
Vaughn Botha
Head: Labour Relations
Member of AHI Employers’ organisation
Office: 0861 588 588
vaughnb@nova-humancapital.co.za
