GRASP THE FINER POINTS OF EMPLOYMENT LAW

Oops! I am a bit late with this - having said that, I am sure that it will be run again at some point and I have no doubt that it is absolutely worth while to attend something like this.

A great proportion of my work arrives, literally 'in my lap' because of procedures not followed in terms of Labour Law. These can be extremely costly and time consuming to the employee if not followed correctly.

Take heed and get yourself into a situation where you know what is happening.

Grasp the finer points of employment law
Irèna Wasserfall10

October 2007 at 11h00

Employment equity, retrenchments, strikes, lock-outs and incapacity through ill health are just some of the potentially explosive situations human resources staff need to learn to handle with care. A thorough understanding of employment law is the key to effective human resources management Human resources directors, managers and staff, as well as company law advisers, can empower themselves by attending an employment law course that started on Friday and runs until November 30.

The certificate course, The Essentials of Employment Law, will be hosted by the Professional Education Project of the University of Cape Town's Faculty of Law in partnership with the university's Institute of Labour Law and Development. It will be presented by experts in the field of employment and labour law and will be divided into 10 Friday workshops. Delegates can attend individual workshops. The closing date for registration is the Monday prior to each workshop.Week one will introduce employment law and provide a history of employment law in South Africa, focusing on changes since 1995.

Topics include the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, the Labour Relations Act, the Employment Equity Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act.Week two will look at various labour institutions including the Department of Labour, Bargaining Councils, the Council for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) and the Labour Court.Week three will focus on drafting contracts of employment and setting up basic policies.

The aim is to provide an understanding of the terms and conditions of employment with regard to management prerogative and statutory requirements.Other topics will include the drafting of permanent contracts of employment, the basic conditions of employment, drafting of basic policies and procedures, as well as collective agreement and bargaining council agreements.Collective labour law will be the theme for week four and the focus will be on trade union rights, organisation rights, bargaining rights, strikes and lockouts, as well as closed shop agreements. Week five will consider managing performance with regard to incapacity, poor performance and ill health, and the termination of employment.Disciplinary procedures will be the topic for week six which will consider the role of discipline, substantive and procedural fairness, inquiries, rules of natural justice, dismissal and the CCMA. Week seven will look at operational requirements and transfers.

Topics will include changes of terms and conditions of employment, consultation and retrenchment. Case studies of unfair labour practices will be considered in week eight, and week nine will involve the drafting of skills development and employment equity plans.The final workshop will focus on risk management and business sustainability.This section will be of interest to accountants because of the need to integrate the full range of human resource requirements into accounting systems to provide sound and sustainable businesses.

Contact Irèna Wasserfall at irena.wasserfall@uct.ac.za, Shani Vavruch at shani.vavruch@ uct.ac.za or call 021 650 5621.