Inspiration – A Mission Statement
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
The majority of big Corporate Companies all have their own Mission Statement. Usually they are placed strategically for the world to see, at reception, or on a wall that you would look at as you enter the building or the office. Why do you think that is? I’ve always thought that it is to tell all their customers, even the really unhappy ones who are about to blow the place to hell, exactly what it is that they promise to do or to achieve, whether they actually do or achieve what they say they are going to is of course a whole different discussion for another day.
So anyway, do we as Small Business owners have our own mission statements, hanging up for all to see? Or let’s take it one step further, how about a personal mission statement? Have any of you thought about putting a personal Mission Statement down on paper? I certainly haven’t, but you know what - I think it is a brilliant idea.
Now here’s the thing though – a Mission Statement is not something that you can just jot down in a few minutes. It’s something that needs to be thought about . . . carefully.
It will mean of course that we have to carefully consider our desires. Not just the ones that cause us to scratch, but the ones that are deep down in the core of our beings. We would have examine all the things that we are passionate about, not just the cute, sexy little number down the road, but the passion for what you do, what you want to achieve, for life itself – passion that comes from within. Passion that you cannot explain because the words have never been invented, but that bubbles up inside of you until you want to explode with excitement and joy whenever you think about being all that you can be and achieving all that you can achieve. Yes a lot of careful thought and deliberation would be required to capture the essence of a personal Mission Statement.
Then of course we need to be aware of what is written on there – always. A Mission Statement is not only for the here and now. It’s not for when we feel like it or when we have time. It’s not for when we are fighting with our significant other or (since I don’t have children) shouting at the cats. It’s something that we would have to live, breathe, eat, sleep and think. It’s something that we would have to not only bring to our conscious world but also have simmering and shining in our sub-conscious minds. It would have to be so constant and present in our lives and in our worlds that everyone around us would also be conscious and aware of it.
The contents of our own personal Mission Statement would be considered and reflected in every decision that we make, on every thought that we have and every deed that we do. It would form the foundation of all of our principles, our morals and every commitment that we make.
It would be like . . . well think of you married folk, before you make or accept a social engagement you usually (if there is any kind of respect in the relationship) check with your spouse first to see if they are available or willing to attend the engagement. So now before you did, said or even thought anything you would ‘run it by’ your Mission Statement to see if it fitted the criteria.
Whether you accepted a challenge or not would depend entirely on how well it fitted in with your Mission Statement and any kind of conflict meant that the challenge would be discarded.
A Mission Statement is what we should live by, it should be our conscience, the essence of who we are. It should have our dreams, not just the ones for tomorrow and next week, but all of our dreams of all that we hope to achieve and even a little bit about how we are going to get there. It’s about, not only our own morals and integrity but also how we deal with what we see going wrong around us – the corrupt officials, the green issues and our own carbon footprints that we know we ought to do something about, but just haven’t gotten there because we are all too busy . . .
Now you’re thinking – wow! Would I be able to confine myself to such a ‘small’ space within my own mind, where I would lack the freedom of choice that I so enjoy now? I honestly don’t know because that is a decision that you yourself would have to make.
What I do know for sure though (to coin a phrase from Oprah Winfrey) is this – if my Mission Statement was absolutely sincere in its intention, if it is true to my beliefs and my aspirations. If it suited me as the individual that I am and the individual that I want to become. If it encapsulates my dreams, my hopes and drives away my fears. If it is honest and meets my expectations, then I believe that it will assist me in making better choices in my life and in making the right decisions. But, if I have, in any way compromised with my Mission Statement and it is not a true reflection or lacks sincerity in any way, then I also believe that it will not work and that my life may even become sad and without direction and that no matter how much I achieve there will always be something lacking, an element of something missing.
Now, where’s my journal? I have to start making notes. Notes for my personal Mission Statement. That is my choice. I wonder – what will yours be?
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
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Monday, April 08, 2019
Friday, April 05, 2019
HR 101 - Avoid Using Hearsay
HR 101 - Avoid Using Hearsay
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Please note that this pertains to South African Labour Law and Best Practice requirements.
I am sure we have all watched the legal type movies on TV where whoever is in the witness box being questioned, says something along the lines of ‘Joe told me . . . .’ and then the oppositions lawyer stands up and says “objection – hearsay”! Well that’s the way the law says that you cannot give evidences about what someone else said!
I have, of late, been the chair of several disciplinaries and in most cases, the employees have, in an attempt to gather sufficient evidence to be able to get a verdict of dismissal, relied on their verbal evidence. Now that is all fine as long as the person being disciplined actually agrees that the complainant’s (usually the employers) evidence is correct. The minute they disagree with what is being said, a problem occurs as it becomes a ‘he said/she said’ type of situation.
Having documentary evidence is of vital importance and is also a legal requirement. So for example, it would be important to have the written procedure in place as well as the documented evidence that the procedure has not been followed. That said, it is equally important to have the correct person present the evidence at the disciplinary hearing. Having someone for example, who is not well versed in the policies and procedures in the company or who is totally unaware of what actually happened will result in more harm than help to the case, as the manner in which the evidence is presented is almost as important as the evidence.
The document that is presented should also be in the original form and the fact that the document is authentic would also need to be established. This is to ensure that documentation is not suddenly produced ‘after the fact’ and also to ensure that the information in the documentation is relevant and admissible to the case.
The usual procedure is for the complainant to give oral evidence at the hearing and the oral evidence would then be backed up by the documents as and when they are entered into evidence. Witnesses would then be brought forward to corroborate the evidence both verbally and with the relevant documentation. Showing or evidencing that the accused employee is aware of the contents of the documentation could then also be necessary.
Let me be clear on something though – if the document cannot be proved to be authentic then the document and its contents cannot be admitted into evidence. The party (being the complainant or the accused) who enters the document into evidence, holds the burden of proof.
There is only one type of evidence that the chairperson of a disciplinary hearing can accept as the truth without the burden of proof and that is called ‘A judicial notice’. This pertains to certain facts that would be commonly known and it means that it is not necessary for any evidence to prove these facts. An example of this, is an ICU (Intensive Care Unit) nurse is charged with smoking in a dangerous and non-smoking area whilst she is attending to patient who is on oxygen.
Usually the complainant would have to prove that the accused actually smoked in the ICU and also that the ICU is actually a non-smoking area and that smoking near someone who is on oxygen is dangerous. In this instance the chairperson could rule that the complainant need only prove that the accused was indeed smoking, as it is a judicial notice (an acceptable fact) that it is dangerous to smoke in an ICU area.
Basing a hearing on ‘knowing’ that the accused is guilty or only documentary evidence or only witness testimony is not a good idea. You have to have sufficient ‘admissible’ evidence both oral and documentary, to prove the guilt of the accused.
Remember too though, that no matter how much you have proved the accused guilty to yourself, it also has to be proved in the perspective of the chairperson/arbitrator or Labour Court judge.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Please note that this pertains to South African Labour Law and Best Practice requirements.
I am sure we have all watched the legal type movies on TV where whoever is in the witness box being questioned, says something along the lines of ‘Joe told me . . . .’ and then the oppositions lawyer stands up and says “objection – hearsay”! Well that’s the way the law says that you cannot give evidences about what someone else said!
I have, of late, been the chair of several disciplinaries and in most cases, the employees have, in an attempt to gather sufficient evidence to be able to get a verdict of dismissal, relied on their verbal evidence. Now that is all fine as long as the person being disciplined actually agrees that the complainant’s (usually the employers) evidence is correct. The minute they disagree with what is being said, a problem occurs as it becomes a ‘he said/she said’ type of situation.
Having documentary evidence is of vital importance and is also a legal requirement. So for example, it would be important to have the written procedure in place as well as the documented evidence that the procedure has not been followed. That said, it is equally important to have the correct person present the evidence at the disciplinary hearing. Having someone for example, who is not well versed in the policies and procedures in the company or who is totally unaware of what actually happened will result in more harm than help to the case, as the manner in which the evidence is presented is almost as important as the evidence.
The document that is presented should also be in the original form and the fact that the document is authentic would also need to be established. This is to ensure that documentation is not suddenly produced ‘after the fact’ and also to ensure that the information in the documentation is relevant and admissible to the case.
The usual procedure is for the complainant to give oral evidence at the hearing and the oral evidence would then be backed up by the documents as and when they are entered into evidence. Witnesses would then be brought forward to corroborate the evidence both verbally and with the relevant documentation. Showing or evidencing that the accused employee is aware of the contents of the documentation could then also be necessary.
Let me be clear on something though – if the document cannot be proved to be authentic then the document and its contents cannot be admitted into evidence. The party (being the complainant or the accused) who enters the document into evidence, holds the burden of proof.
There is only one type of evidence that the chairperson of a disciplinary hearing can accept as the truth without the burden of proof and that is called ‘A judicial notice’. This pertains to certain facts that would be commonly known and it means that it is not necessary for any evidence to prove these facts. An example of this, is an ICU (Intensive Care Unit) nurse is charged with smoking in a dangerous and non-smoking area whilst she is attending to patient who is on oxygen.
Usually the complainant would have to prove that the accused actually smoked in the ICU and also that the ICU is actually a non-smoking area and that smoking near someone who is on oxygen is dangerous. In this instance the chairperson could rule that the complainant need only prove that the accused was indeed smoking, as it is a judicial notice (an acceptable fact) that it is dangerous to smoke in an ICU area.
Basing a hearing on ‘knowing’ that the accused is guilty or only documentary evidence or only witness testimony is not a good idea. You have to have sufficient ‘admissible’ evidence both oral and documentary, to prove the guilt of the accused.
Remember too though, that no matter how much you have proved the accused guilty to yourself, it also has to be proved in the perspective of the chairperson/arbitrator or Labour Court judge.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Thursday, April 04, 2019
CPA – Consumer Complaint Procedure – Part 2
CPA – Consumer Complaint Procedure – Part 2
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Please note that this pertains to South African legislation.
Following on from last time, let’s have a look at some more of the “how to” around the raising of a complaint, process. We have covered the different types of complaints as well as a broad outline of the process of the complaint. Now let’s have a look at ‘where to complain’.
Part of the ‘intent’ of the CPA is to promote ‘consumer activism’ and this is done by getting consumer groups to lodge complaints on behalf of the consumers. These various groups obviously need to be properly accredited (because they would need to be properly trained) and they would therefore also be able to give proper support too, or advice as well as educate consumers about what they are protected against and also the role that consumers need to take on, to make the CPA successful. These consumer groups would also be responsible for publications on the subject, as well as do the research and they would then be tasked with “alternative dispute resolution through mediation or conciliation.”
As a result of this and in compliance with the ACT, the National Consumer Commission was established. This body is responsible to investigate consumer complaints, pretty much like the National Consumer Tribunal was established by the National Credit Act, to investigate the violations and transgressors of the ACT.
Currently there are several ways to lay the complaint. These are, (but not limited to):-
1. The DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) – customer contact center: 0861 843 384
2. The DTI office of Consumer Protection (OCP): 012 394 1439/1558/1076
3. E-mail: contactus@thedti.gov.za. Please be advised however, that this particular e-mail address is protected from spam and you will need to have Java Script enabled on your computer in order to view it.
4. Website: The DTI website address is http://www.thedti.gov.za
5. National Consumer Tribunal (NCT): (012) 663 5615 or registry@thenct.org.za. Again, please be advised that this e-mail address is also protected from spam and you will need to have your Java Script enabled in order to view it.
Next time we will have a look at some more useful contact information.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Please note that this pertains to South African legislation.
Following on from last time, let’s have a look at some more of the “how to” around the raising of a complaint, process. We have covered the different types of complaints as well as a broad outline of the process of the complaint. Now let’s have a look at ‘where to complain’.
Part of the ‘intent’ of the CPA is to promote ‘consumer activism’ and this is done by getting consumer groups to lodge complaints on behalf of the consumers. These various groups obviously need to be properly accredited (because they would need to be properly trained) and they would therefore also be able to give proper support too, or advice as well as educate consumers about what they are protected against and also the role that consumers need to take on, to make the CPA successful. These consumer groups would also be responsible for publications on the subject, as well as do the research and they would then be tasked with “alternative dispute resolution through mediation or conciliation.”
As a result of this and in compliance with the ACT, the National Consumer Commission was established. This body is responsible to investigate consumer complaints, pretty much like the National Consumer Tribunal was established by the National Credit Act, to investigate the violations and transgressors of the ACT.
Currently there are several ways to lay the complaint. These are, (but not limited to):-
1. The DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) – customer contact center: 0861 843 384
2. The DTI office of Consumer Protection (OCP): 012 394 1439/1558/1076
3. E-mail: contactus@thedti.gov.za. Please be advised however, that this particular e-mail address is protected from spam and you will need to have Java Script enabled on your computer in order to view it.
4. Website: The DTI website address is http://www.thedti.gov.za
5. National Consumer Tribunal (NCT): (012) 663 5615 or registry@thenct.org.za. Again, please be advised that this e-mail address is also protected from spam and you will need to have your Java Script enabled in order to view it.
Next time we will have a look at some more useful contact information.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Wednesday, April 03, 2019
Networking 101 - Playing it Forward
Networking 101 - Playing it Forward
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
For me, part of becoming a more skilled Networker or Networking more effectively, is not just about me doing things better, but it is also about me teaching others what I have learnt about how to Network. You see, if I am the most effective Networker around and no-one else around me knows how to Network effectively, I am not going to get what I want out of Networking. For me to effectively ‘work’ my Network, I have to have a network, that effectively ‘works’ their Network too.
So it is very important, not only for me to know and do the right things when I am Networking, but it is in my own best interests for the people that I Network with to know and do the right things when they are Networking to.
It is also very important that we start thinking the right way too and if we are to make our Networking endeavours as successful and as magnetic as they can be, it may involve us changing our mindsets. It’s means opening up our eyes and taking off out blinkers and having a look at absolutely everywhere – not just the usual spots.
How about looking at individuals or groups of individuals that we never think about Networking or who don’t look at your particular Networking type groups because your profession or the size of your business is not where they look for what it is that they do.
I know from experience that ‘employees’ in a Corporate environment don’t feel the need to network because well, it’s like this . . . they have a comfortable job that gives them a steady income and they have a marketing department that markets and brand the company and they have a sales department that goes out and sells and brings the business in and therefore they don’t need to meet people and Network. The people that they usually meet are ‘needy’ small business owners who only want something from them and they don’t need anything those small ‘needy’ business owners have to offer. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!
We all need to interact with people and when we meet with someone, whether it is at Networking type meeting or a social dinner or a beer in the pub down the road, we need to exchange ideas, exchange information and learn new things – it’s a natural phenomena that is built into every single one of us. Think about it people, whenever you meet someone you always ask what they do and you invariably tell them what you do. It’s exchanging information about one another. The next step is exchanging ideas and most of us even exchange opinions. We try and understand the other person point of view (well most of us do) and we try and get them to understand ours.
So why is Networking any different? It’s our mindset that needs some serious work.
At a Networking event, we exchange information about one another, we exchange ideas (this is how you can be of assistance to my business and this is how I can be of assistance to yours) and we exchange opinions.
So whether you are a small business owner or an employee in a large Corporate – you need to Network and there is no reason what-so-ever, for the experience not to be a mutually beneficial one.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
For me, part of becoming a more skilled Networker or Networking more effectively, is not just about me doing things better, but it is also about me teaching others what I have learnt about how to Network. You see, if I am the most effective Networker around and no-one else around me knows how to Network effectively, I am not going to get what I want out of Networking. For me to effectively ‘work’ my Network, I have to have a network, that effectively ‘works’ their Network too.
So it is very important, not only for me to know and do the right things when I am Networking, but it is in my own best interests for the people that I Network with to know and do the right things when they are Networking to.
It is also very important that we start thinking the right way too and if we are to make our Networking endeavours as successful and as magnetic as they can be, it may involve us changing our mindsets. It’s means opening up our eyes and taking off out blinkers and having a look at absolutely everywhere – not just the usual spots.
How about looking at individuals or groups of individuals that we never think about Networking or who don’t look at your particular Networking type groups because your profession or the size of your business is not where they look for what it is that they do.
I know from experience that ‘employees’ in a Corporate environment don’t feel the need to network because well, it’s like this . . . they have a comfortable job that gives them a steady income and they have a marketing department that markets and brand the company and they have a sales department that goes out and sells and brings the business in and therefore they don’t need to meet people and Network. The people that they usually meet are ‘needy’ small business owners who only want something from them and they don’t need anything those small ‘needy’ business owners have to offer. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!
We all need to interact with people and when we meet with someone, whether it is at Networking type meeting or a social dinner or a beer in the pub down the road, we need to exchange ideas, exchange information and learn new things – it’s a natural phenomena that is built into every single one of us. Think about it people, whenever you meet someone you always ask what they do and you invariably tell them what you do. It’s exchanging information about one another. The next step is exchanging ideas and most of us even exchange opinions. We try and understand the other person point of view (well most of us do) and we try and get them to understand ours.
So why is Networking any different? It’s our mindset that needs some serious work.
At a Networking event, we exchange information about one another, we exchange ideas (this is how you can be of assistance to my business and this is how I can be of assistance to yours) and we exchange opinions.
So whether you are a small business owner or an employee in a large Corporate – you need to Network and there is no reason what-so-ever, for the experience not to be a mutually beneficial one.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Tuesday, April 02, 2019
Business Tips – Common Mistakes Start-up Businesses Make – Part 1
Business Tips – Common Mistakes Start-up Businesses Make – Part 1
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
More and more I am coming across individuals, who want to start up a business, but who have no clue about what they are doing and who don’t have any kind of plan in place. Now having an idea is great, that is what starts the dream but quite honestly, not having any kind of plan in place is the same as committing suicide – business suicide!
A business that does not have any kind of plan in place will often have neither direction nor focus and if that is the way that you are starting up, quite honestly, that is the quickest way to just close the doors. Many start-ups feel that the only reason to have a business plan in place is if they need to raise capital and they couldn’t be further from the truth. Having a documented business plan in place will help to direct the process of starting a new business and for those businesses that are already established, it will help them keep focused on what they want to achieve and by when they want it achieved.
Your business plan however, is not a ‘once off’ kind of document. It needs to be updated and changed as the business grows and as your requirements and needs change too.
Being cocky and full of nonsense, is definitely not going to endear you to anyone. So many newly started business owners, who are in the first flush of success (read: they are in their 2nd month of trading and the glow hasn’t worn off yet) think they are invincible. My advice to them is “Get a grip!” They often compare themselves to the greats out there and strut their stuff, but as tempting as it is, they need to remember that they are still taking the first steps and adjust themselves to that.
Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with dreaming that you will get there . . . one day, but you need to remain grounded, focused and with your feet firmly planted on the ground. Remember all big businesses started out as little businesses and although every journey starts with a single step – you have taken that first step and now you need to take the next, and then the next and then . . . you get my drift I am sure.
Trying to sell yourself to your clients and suppliers as ‘established’, when you’re not, will only make them see you as dishonest and it will not work in your favour in the long run – so just don’t do it!
Don’t try and be clever by extending credit to your clients when you have just started out – the reality is that you will end up with a lot of bad debt and clearly this will affect your cash flow in a negative way. Getting money in quickly and efficiently will allow you to go to the next step of your plan a lot quicker and without as much risk. Having to continuously wait for your money puts your business at risk and will cause you untold unnecessary stress.
Next time we will have a look at some of the other common mistakes.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
More and more I am coming across individuals, who want to start up a business, but who have no clue about what they are doing and who don’t have any kind of plan in place. Now having an idea is great, that is what starts the dream but quite honestly, not having any kind of plan in place is the same as committing suicide – business suicide!
A business that does not have any kind of plan in place will often have neither direction nor focus and if that is the way that you are starting up, quite honestly, that is the quickest way to just close the doors. Many start-ups feel that the only reason to have a business plan in place is if they need to raise capital and they couldn’t be further from the truth. Having a documented business plan in place will help to direct the process of starting a new business and for those businesses that are already established, it will help them keep focused on what they want to achieve and by when they want it achieved.
Your business plan however, is not a ‘once off’ kind of document. It needs to be updated and changed as the business grows and as your requirements and needs change too.
Being cocky and full of nonsense, is definitely not going to endear you to anyone. So many newly started business owners, who are in the first flush of success (read: they are in their 2nd month of trading and the glow hasn’t worn off yet) think they are invincible. My advice to them is “Get a grip!” They often compare themselves to the greats out there and strut their stuff, but as tempting as it is, they need to remember that they are still taking the first steps and adjust themselves to that.
Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with dreaming that you will get there . . . one day, but you need to remain grounded, focused and with your feet firmly planted on the ground. Remember all big businesses started out as little businesses and although every journey starts with a single step – you have taken that first step and now you need to take the next, and then the next and then . . . you get my drift I am sure.
Trying to sell yourself to your clients and suppliers as ‘established’, when you’re not, will only make them see you as dishonest and it will not work in your favour in the long run – so just don’t do it!
Don’t try and be clever by extending credit to your clients when you have just started out – the reality is that you will end up with a lot of bad debt and clearly this will affect your cash flow in a negative way. Getting money in quickly and efficiently will allow you to go to the next step of your plan a lot quicker and without as much risk. Having to continuously wait for your money puts your business at risk and will cause you untold unnecessary stress.
Next time we will have a look at some of the other common mistakes.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Monday, April 01, 2019
Inspiration – Are You Part of the Problem
Inspiration – Are You Part of the Problem
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Are you Part of the Problem? Well are you?
Coretta Scott King writes “It doesn’t matter how strong your opinions are, if you don’t use your power for positive change, you are indeed, part of the problem.”
Man, oh man, I can sure relate to this! For the past few weeks I have been sorely challenged by someone who pays lip service to bringing about positive change but who is so blinded by her title (of manager) that she blocks every attempt to make a change that she hasn’t personally thought about or hasn’t been discussed to death with her in an attempt to get her approval.
Quite frankly it’s exhausting! It’s been seven weeks of ‘exhausting’ and I am no closer to the goal than when I started. I am seriously very close to finding someone else to run with the idea. I have no doubt that I am not the only person to have experienced this and I am equally sure that this will be the last time I experience it either.
You see, this woman, let’s call her Alice, has now become a part of the problem instead of part of the solution, to bring about change. Everything has to be in her time, as part of her criteria and with her own agenda and to make matters worse, she also does not communicate effectively, so if she has a query or is not sure of something, instead of making a call to ascertain what/where/how/when, she does . . . yeah, you’ve got it, absolutely nothing because “someone was supposed to have told me”!
In the meantime, several weeks of opportunity have gone by, nothing has happened and nothing has been resolved and we are still doing this really weird dance around her! Yes, I am sorely tempted to walk away and find someone else – someone who understands what I am trying to do and someone with the same code of conduct, same set of ethics and the same intention to make a difference and be a part of the solution. I wonder if her Board of Directors will see the situation in this light when we meet this afternoon and I tell them of my decision. I wonder if they too will become a part of the problem or if they will stand up and be counted, and be a part of the solution too . . . .
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Friday, March 29, 2019
Thursday, March 28, 2019
CPA – Consumer Complaint Procedure – Part 1
CPA – Consumer Complaint Procedure – Part 1
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Please note that this pertains to South African Legislation.
Much has been written and said about the new CPA (Consumer Protection Act) that was recently introduced to South Africa. Many have seen it in a positive light (and I am included in these), but many have seen it in a negative light. Regardless of how you choose to see it, the very real and harsh reality of the matter is that it will affect you and have impact on your life, one way or another.
Let’s face it, we have all, at one time or another had a bad shopping experience and have felt frustrated and abused or even bullied by a supplier – I know I have, but now you can actually do something about it.
Let’s go through the process together.
Firstly there are three different types of solutions to your consumer complaint. They are:-
Class Actions;
Damages; and
Discriminations (remember though that discrimination complaints can be brought to, both the Equality Court or the National Consumer Commission, who will in turn refer it to the Equality Court).
Now, let’s go through the process one step at a time.
The first thing that you need to do if you have a complaint about a product or service is to approach the service provider. Obviously if you can resolve the problem at this level, between the two of you, this would be first prize. Remember to document everything as this will obviously assist.
There are of course, some suppliers who will not be willing to play their part in the dispute negotiation and so at this point, you would need to refer the matter to the DRA (Dispute Resolution Agent), who will attempt to resolve the matter in a fair and impartial manner, through an ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) process. Remember, the more information that you give them, particularly documented, the easier it will be for them to prove or disprove the situation.
From there, so called ‘minor matters’ will go to a provincial office, where the dispute will be forwarded onto the Provincial Consumer Courts.
At this point, it will become the responsibility of the Commissioner or the Tribunal to resolve the matter.
At this level, each complaint will be thoroughly investigated by the National Consumer Commission, who will in turn refer cases to the Consumer Tribunal.
The buck stops with the Consumer Tribunal who have the authority to decide whether the Consumer Act has been contravened or not. They can and will, order changes in the practice of ‘how things happen’ in the supplier’s business or they could also make the supplier pay a fine or even implement a process in the supplier’s business to ensure that things happen differently next time.
As you can see, this is quite an onerous, complex process – so don’t be thinking that it will take all of five minutes.
The bottom line of course is that finally we, as consumers have a voice that we can make heard. Conversely, if we are service providers who don’t do things properly, our clients too, have a voice that can now be heard.
As usual though it is a process that has to be followed correctly, so again, please understand that it will not happen overnight and if you are a ‘knee jerk’ type of individual like I am, you will have to wait patiently while the wheels of justice turn.
You also have to understand that the CPA is not something that is unique to South Africa, it has been introduced in several countries across the globe, so it’s not the S A Government out to get you.
Next time we will continue with the process.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Please note that this pertains to South African Legislation.
Much has been written and said about the new CPA (Consumer Protection Act) that was recently introduced to South Africa. Many have seen it in a positive light (and I am included in these), but many have seen it in a negative light. Regardless of how you choose to see it, the very real and harsh reality of the matter is that it will affect you and have impact on your life, one way or another.
Let’s face it, we have all, at one time or another had a bad shopping experience and have felt frustrated and abused or even bullied by a supplier – I know I have, but now you can actually do something about it.
Let’s go through the process together.
Firstly there are three different types of solutions to your consumer complaint. They are:-
Class Actions;
Damages; and
Discriminations (remember though that discrimination complaints can be brought to, both the Equality Court or the National Consumer Commission, who will in turn refer it to the Equality Court).
Now, let’s go through the process one step at a time.
The first thing that you need to do if you have a complaint about a product or service is to approach the service provider. Obviously if you can resolve the problem at this level, between the two of you, this would be first prize. Remember to document everything as this will obviously assist.
There are of course, some suppliers who will not be willing to play their part in the dispute negotiation and so at this point, you would need to refer the matter to the DRA (Dispute Resolution Agent), who will attempt to resolve the matter in a fair and impartial manner, through an ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) process. Remember, the more information that you give them, particularly documented, the easier it will be for them to prove or disprove the situation.
From there, so called ‘minor matters’ will go to a provincial office, where the dispute will be forwarded onto the Provincial Consumer Courts.
At this point, it will become the responsibility of the Commissioner or the Tribunal to resolve the matter.
At this level, each complaint will be thoroughly investigated by the National Consumer Commission, who will in turn refer cases to the Consumer Tribunal.
The buck stops with the Consumer Tribunal who have the authority to decide whether the Consumer Act has been contravened or not. They can and will, order changes in the practice of ‘how things happen’ in the supplier’s business or they could also make the supplier pay a fine or even implement a process in the supplier’s business to ensure that things happen differently next time.
As you can see, this is quite an onerous, complex process – so don’t be thinking that it will take all of five minutes.
The bottom line of course is that finally we, as consumers have a voice that we can make heard. Conversely, if we are service providers who don’t do things properly, our clients too, have a voice that can now be heard.
As usual though it is a process that has to be followed correctly, so again, please understand that it will not happen overnight and if you are a ‘knee jerk’ type of individual like I am, you will have to wait patiently while the wheels of justice turn.
You also have to understand that the CPA is not something that is unique to South Africa, it has been introduced in several countries across the globe, so it’s not the S A Government out to get you.
Next time we will continue with the process.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Networking 101 Be Inclusive & Collaborative
Networking 101 Be Inclusive & Collaborative
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Dr. Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:
“Be inclusive and collaborative”.
Over the holiday period, I did not travel anywhere, or take a significant break. That said, I spent my time – quietly at home, examining what I had done in 2008 and what needed to be done in 2009. With the economy (supposedly) in a mess and the credit crunch (supposedly) really hurting everyone concerned (as you can see I didn’t really buy into either – but the rest of the world did, so I had to adjust the way I responded to them accordingly), I realized that I had to do things completely differently for 2009.
At the recent launch of the Soweto 5 year project that I attended at the Ubuntu Kraal in Soweto, the speaker Parks Tau, who is the Financial Director of the Economic Development of the City of Johannesburg, kept referring to the fact that there has to be a collaboration between Government, the Private Sector and the people of Soweto, in order for the roll out of this initiative to actually work. As I listened to him speak, several of the people there kept saying “We are tired of the talk shows, now we want things to happen.” Parks kept on patiently explaining that that is one of the reasons that there had to be the collaboration.
Several times since then, I have been in a networking environment, where the people have used words like ‘Joint Venture’ and ‘Strategic Alliance’ and even ‘Partnerships’ and my brain just kept going back to the word “Collaboration”.
My 2009 had really started with a bang! Work is pouring in from all kinds of different avenues, clients that were dormant, new clients, referrals and the like from friends and colleagues from all over the country. Here’s the thing though – the majority of opportunities that are coming my way are of a collaborative nature! Particularly for my Workshop “A Basic Practical Guide to Starting a Business.” You see many of the Skills Development companies and NGO’s such as Business Engage, British Chamber of Business and so on were needing to train everyday people who wanted to start their own businesses in the basic aspects of running a sustainable business. They not only needed me to facilitate the training of my workshop, but they also needed access to my extensive data base that is packed full of people – not only people who can facilitate training of a whole plethora of different Skills Development topics but also people who may also need to be trained on those particular skills.
So guess who was getting the old Memorandum of Understanding out, dusting it off and Collaborating like there is no tomorrow?
Me of course! Guess what? So can you – Collaborate with me, or with others – just get out there and do it now!
For more information on Renate, please visit her website at http://www.drrenatevolpe.co.za
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Dr. Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:
“Be inclusive and collaborative”.
Over the holiday period, I did not travel anywhere, or take a significant break. That said, I spent my time – quietly at home, examining what I had done in 2008 and what needed to be done in 2009. With the economy (supposedly) in a mess and the credit crunch (supposedly) really hurting everyone concerned (as you can see I didn’t really buy into either – but the rest of the world did, so I had to adjust the way I responded to them accordingly), I realized that I had to do things completely differently for 2009.
At the recent launch of the Soweto 5 year project that I attended at the Ubuntu Kraal in Soweto, the speaker Parks Tau, who is the Financial Director of the Economic Development of the City of Johannesburg, kept referring to the fact that there has to be a collaboration between Government, the Private Sector and the people of Soweto, in order for the roll out of this initiative to actually work. As I listened to him speak, several of the people there kept saying “We are tired of the talk shows, now we want things to happen.” Parks kept on patiently explaining that that is one of the reasons that there had to be the collaboration.
Several times since then, I have been in a networking environment, where the people have used words like ‘Joint Venture’ and ‘Strategic Alliance’ and even ‘Partnerships’ and my brain just kept going back to the word “Collaboration”.
My 2009 had really started with a bang! Work is pouring in from all kinds of different avenues, clients that were dormant, new clients, referrals and the like from friends and colleagues from all over the country. Here’s the thing though – the majority of opportunities that are coming my way are of a collaborative nature! Particularly for my Workshop “A Basic Practical Guide to Starting a Business.” You see many of the Skills Development companies and NGO’s such as Business Engage, British Chamber of Business and so on were needing to train everyday people who wanted to start their own businesses in the basic aspects of running a sustainable business. They not only needed me to facilitate the training of my workshop, but they also needed access to my extensive data base that is packed full of people – not only people who can facilitate training of a whole plethora of different Skills Development topics but also people who may also need to be trained on those particular skills.
So guess who was getting the old Memorandum of Understanding out, dusting it off and Collaborating like there is no tomorrow?
Me of course! Guess what? So can you – Collaborate with me, or with others – just get out there and do it now!
For more information on Renate, please visit her website at http://www.drrenatevolpe.co.za
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Business Tips – Customers, Our Invited Guests
Business Tips – Customers, Our Invited Guests
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Jeff Bezos says “We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It’s our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better.”
Actually, if the truth be told, I really don’t think that we see our customers as anything like invited guests. Certainly not the way that I have been treated lately (although in all fairness I have to be the world’s worst customer).
I think we have panic attacks when we perceive that there is a lack of clients, but the minute we have them they become an irritation and I know I feel that some of my services providers feel that they are doing me a favour just to give me any type of service. In fact in the last couple of days, I have stated on several occasions that if I were to treat my clients the way that I was being treated there would be no clients!
Think about it for a moment – when you invite guests into your home, there are those that you feel comfortable around, that you have perhaps had as friends for many years. These guests have a great deal more freedom than say new guests. They are encouraged to make themselves at home, they potter around your home, perhaps follow you into the kitchen and help with the cooking or keep you company whilst you cook. The conversation may become playful and the feeling is one of easy wellbeing. So too should it be with your customers that have been with you for some time. Relationships have been built and the feeling is one of mutual respect and well being. Still, even these guests you would not expect to wash the dishes (even if they offered – they are guests after all, not family or extended family or even good friends). You would not go to bed and leave them wandering around your home unattended.
What about your new clients or guests that you have only just met? Whilst you are not strictly formal with them, the atmosphere is still a lot more formal than with your guests that you have known for some time. I mean, I am sure that you would not let them get their own drinks, you would serve them. They would not be in the kitchen with you as you cooked or prepared the meal and they certainly would not be encouraged to wonder around your home on their own. Yes you would try and make them feel comfortable but there would be limits. Isn’t that exactly the way that it is with your new clients – are you not a whole lot more wary around them, trying to put your best foot forward, trying to give them exactly what it is that they ask for?
Actually, perhaps the question should be, isn’t that the way that it is supposed to be happening, rather than the constant irritation that I have been experiencing of late. The sullen faces, the less than interested attitude and the glances and sighs that make me feel that they are actually doing me a huge big favour and I had better just accept what it is that they give me and I had better not say anything about the manner in which I have been treated or that they have given me inferior service and useless product.
Perhaps it is time that we have another look at who and what our customers are and why they are in our lives. Perhaps if we treat them a little better, they will stick around a little longer and buy some more product or give us some more work.
Perhaps . . . .
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Monday, March 25, 2019
Inspiration - A Life Worth Remembering
Inspiration – A Life Worth Remembering
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
I’m an avid 94.7 Highveld radio listener and even (and perhaps more so at this time of the year) as the question is asked by the DJ’s, I am conscious of my own decision to ‘make a difference’. Before I go any further, let me tell you the question that all of the DJ’s are asking – it is “Are you making a difference?”
Augustine of Hippo said “The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering”.
Think about it for a moment – why are we actually on this planet? The truth of the matter is that we are born, we pay taxes (well some of us do) and then we die and there is nothing that we can take out of this world except for the name that we have made for ourselves. The name that we take out of this world is determined by the manner in which we have lived our lives, what we have achieved and the difference we have made (good or bad).
Sadly millions of people have passed into obscurity, never to be remembered or even thought of. People who lived mundane lives, never adding anything of value to the world that they came into.
For me, I guess, it is about striving to leave my little corner of the world a little bit better than it was when I arrived in it.
Have I achieved this – I suppose I have to a certain extent. Will I ever achieve it to the extent of my potential? Who knows – I certainly will give it my best shot though!
What I do know for sure though, is that life would be pretty meaningless for me, if I did not continue to try. If I just stopped giving back and just took what I could get. Just the thought of a life like that makes me realize that I would have lost my purpose and that for me, a life without purpose would be a life without meaning.
So I try and live each day to the full. I try and make a difference to ensure that my world, such as it is, is a little better or even just a little different to the day before. As I look around me in wonder at all the beauty that still does exist in the world today, I know that I am not alone in my quest.
I know that I will be remembered – the question of course now, is will you?
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
I’m an avid 94.7 Highveld radio listener and even (and perhaps more so at this time of the year) as the question is asked by the DJ’s, I am conscious of my own decision to ‘make a difference’. Before I go any further, let me tell you the question that all of the DJ’s are asking – it is “Are you making a difference?”
Augustine of Hippo said “The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering”.
Think about it for a moment – why are we actually on this planet? The truth of the matter is that we are born, we pay taxes (well some of us do) and then we die and there is nothing that we can take out of this world except for the name that we have made for ourselves. The name that we take out of this world is determined by the manner in which we have lived our lives, what we have achieved and the difference we have made (good or bad).
Sadly millions of people have passed into obscurity, never to be remembered or even thought of. People who lived mundane lives, never adding anything of value to the world that they came into.
For me, I guess, it is about striving to leave my little corner of the world a little bit better than it was when I arrived in it.
Have I achieved this – I suppose I have to a certain extent. Will I ever achieve it to the extent of my potential? Who knows – I certainly will give it my best shot though!
What I do know for sure though, is that life would be pretty meaningless for me, if I did not continue to try. If I just stopped giving back and just took what I could get. Just the thought of a life like that makes me realize that I would have lost my purpose and that for me, a life without purpose would be a life without meaning.
So I try and live each day to the full. I try and make a difference to ensure that my world, such as it is, is a little better or even just a little different to the day before. As I look around me in wonder at all the beauty that still does exist in the world today, I know that I am not alone in my quest.
I know that I will be remembered – the question of course now, is will you?
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Friday, March 22, 2019
HR 101 - Labour Broker Employees – Part 2
HR 101 - Labour Broker Employees – Part 2
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd - January 2010
Please note that this pertains to South African Labour Relations and Best Practice requirements.
Following on from last time, this time we will look at some of the other requirements pertaining to Labour Brokers, particularly with regards to the payment of PAYE/UIF/SDL payments.
Who is responsible for paying the PAYE/UIF/SDL. In 1990 the definition of an employee for the purpose of PAYE was extended to a “Labour Broker”. “A Labour Broker is defined as any person who carries on the business of providing the client with other persons to render services or perform work for such client for reward.” An additional requirement was put into place however and that was that the Labour Broker had to apply for and be in possession of a valid ‘exemption certificate’. So what does this mean?
Well essentially it means that like any person who is self employed, if more than 80% of the income of the Labour Broker is received directly or indirectly from one client, then the PAYE/UIF/SDL needs to be paid by the client.
So the reality of this is that Labour Brokers, who have one big client will not be issued with an exemption certificate and the client will have to deduct the statutory requirements and pay them over to SARS pretty much the same as if they were employing the staff.
Changes in the tax rates to Companies also make a significant difference to whether a company uses Labour Brokers and the Minister has now suggested and proposed the introduction of new measures. These measures include (but are not limited to), to discourage companies from providing services to a client, that converts income that would normally have been taxed as employment income into company income, as this is taxed at a lower rate.
The Minister has suggested that the term ‘employment company’ be used rather than ‘labour broker’, during the classification process. This then means that:
a. The income from services rendered by ‘employment companies’ will be subjected to employees’ tax. At this point (when the article I have used was written), the rate was not specified.
b. The allowable deductions of an employment company would be limited to the monies paid to shareholders and/or members and/or other employees of the company.
c. The income of an employment company would be taxed at a rate of 35% and any dividends declared by the company would be subject to STC which would result the actual tax rate being 42.22%
Note: These tax rates, in all probability may have changed – please check with a SARS office to ascertain what the correct rate is for the current year, as this legislation came into effect from 1 August 2000.
Next time we will have a look at some of the other requirements for Labour Brokers particularly with respect to the CCMA requirements.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd - January 2010
Please note that this pertains to South African Labour Relations and Best Practice requirements.
Following on from last time, this time we will look at some of the other requirements pertaining to Labour Brokers, particularly with regards to the payment of PAYE/UIF/SDL payments.
Who is responsible for paying the PAYE/UIF/SDL. In 1990 the definition of an employee for the purpose of PAYE was extended to a “Labour Broker”. “A Labour Broker is defined as any person who carries on the business of providing the client with other persons to render services or perform work for such client for reward.” An additional requirement was put into place however and that was that the Labour Broker had to apply for and be in possession of a valid ‘exemption certificate’. So what does this mean?
Well essentially it means that like any person who is self employed, if more than 80% of the income of the Labour Broker is received directly or indirectly from one client, then the PAYE/UIF/SDL needs to be paid by the client.
So the reality of this is that Labour Brokers, who have one big client will not be issued with an exemption certificate and the client will have to deduct the statutory requirements and pay them over to SARS pretty much the same as if they were employing the staff.
Changes in the tax rates to Companies also make a significant difference to whether a company uses Labour Brokers and the Minister has now suggested and proposed the introduction of new measures. These measures include (but are not limited to), to discourage companies from providing services to a client, that converts income that would normally have been taxed as employment income into company income, as this is taxed at a lower rate.
The Minister has suggested that the term ‘employment company’ be used rather than ‘labour broker’, during the classification process. This then means that:
a. The income from services rendered by ‘employment companies’ will be subjected to employees’ tax. At this point (when the article I have used was written), the rate was not specified.
b. The allowable deductions of an employment company would be limited to the monies paid to shareholders and/or members and/or other employees of the company.
c. The income of an employment company would be taxed at a rate of 35% and any dividends declared by the company would be subject to STC which would result the actual tax rate being 42.22%
Note: These tax rates, in all probability may have changed – please check with a SARS office to ascertain what the correct rate is for the current year, as this legislation came into effect from 1 August 2000.
Next time we will have a look at some of the other requirements for Labour Brokers particularly with respect to the CCMA requirements.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Monday, March 18, 2019
Inspiration - Procrastination
Inspiration – Procrastination
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
The quote today is by an anonymous person who once said “Procrastination is the natural assassin of opportunity.”
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy – the universe certainly delivered a swift sharp well aimed boot to my rear end when it gave me this particular quote.
Make no mistake – I am the master of procrastination – except in my world it is called anything but – Procrastination.
Much like I never, never, ever exaggerate, I don’t procrastinate either! Oh don’t get me wrong – I dream, I plan, I just have to do this or that, it’s too late in the day or it’s too early or I need a cup of tea, or a quick trip to the bathroom. I’m really tired and I can’t concentrate or need some ‘down’ time – anything to distract myself from what I know I have to do – all justified, all legitimate and all very true!
Here’s the thing though, when I do get my head together and I actually sit down and in the words of Jacob Zuma “apply my mind”, the actual task itself usually doesn’t take long and it’s usually quite painless, completely contrary to my initial perception. Then of course I end up kicking my own rear end because I have procrastinated to such an extent that I have left everything to the last minute and put myself under pressure. How ridiculous is that!
Have I learnt the lesson – sometimes I think I have, but the reality is, if I am completely honest, that I still procrastinate.
Thankfully though, I have been made aware of my negative ways and nowadays when I find or realize that I am procrastinating, I stop and make a list of the reasons as to why I am avoiding the task in question. Once I have the understanding of what the problem is, then I can solve it and get to the task a lot quicker. The challenge of course, is to actually admit that I am ‘procrastinating’.
Will I continue to procrastinate in the future – of course I will, its human nature, but I will also be far more aware of what I am doing and hopefully that means I will continually check to see that I am managing my time in the most efficient way.
So how about you – how do you manage your procrastination?
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
The quote today is by an anonymous person who once said “Procrastination is the natural assassin of opportunity.”
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy – the universe certainly delivered a swift sharp well aimed boot to my rear end when it gave me this particular quote.
Make no mistake – I am the master of procrastination – except in my world it is called anything but – Procrastination.
Much like I never, never, ever exaggerate, I don’t procrastinate either! Oh don’t get me wrong – I dream, I plan, I just have to do this or that, it’s too late in the day or it’s too early or I need a cup of tea, or a quick trip to the bathroom. I’m really tired and I can’t concentrate or need some ‘down’ time – anything to distract myself from what I know I have to do – all justified, all legitimate and all very true!
Here’s the thing though, when I do get my head together and I actually sit down and in the words of Jacob Zuma “apply my mind”, the actual task itself usually doesn’t take long and it’s usually quite painless, completely contrary to my initial perception. Then of course I end up kicking my own rear end because I have procrastinated to such an extent that I have left everything to the last minute and put myself under pressure. How ridiculous is that!
Have I learnt the lesson – sometimes I think I have, but the reality is, if I am completely honest, that I still procrastinate.
Thankfully though, I have been made aware of my negative ways and nowadays when I find or realize that I am procrastinating, I stop and make a list of the reasons as to why I am avoiding the task in question. Once I have the understanding of what the problem is, then I can solve it and get to the task a lot quicker. The challenge of course, is to actually admit that I am ‘procrastinating’.
Will I continue to procrastinate in the future – of course I will, its human nature, but I will also be far more aware of what I am doing and hopefully that means I will continually check to see that I am managing my time in the most efficient way.
So how about you – how do you manage your procrastination?
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Friday, March 15, 2019
HR 101 - Labour Broker Employees – Part 1
HR 101 - Labour Broker Employees – Part 1
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Please note that this pertains to South African Labour Relations and Best Practice Requirements.
There has been a lot of controversy in the news of late regarding Labour Brokers and indeed, I have some clients who use Labour Brokers for their staffing requirements. Most people are under the impression that by using the services of a Labour Broker, they will save themselves the staffing problems and hassles that are usually incurred when dealing with employees – let me be clear on this, nothing is further from the truth! Here are some issues that employers need to understand when using Labour Brokers. These are, but not limited to:
Labour Broker employees enjoy exactly the same rights as any other employee under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. This means that even if the Labour Broker loses the client or the contract comes to an end, the employee cannot just be dismissed. Let’s bring in the protagonists.
Mike is a Labour Broker who employs hundreds if not thousands of employees all over the country. He has clients in every major sector and enjoys a mainly good relationship with most of his clients who range from small 5 employee requirements to clients who have need of hundreds of employees.
George is one of Mike’s employees. George has worked for Mike for the last 15 years, with the majority of that being in a Distribution Company (let’s call them ABC Logistics), where George is a driver.
ABC Logistics have undergone some intense restructuring of the company and have decided to go the route of ‘owner/driver’, which obviously has a huge impact on the 500 odd drivers that they employ from various Labour Brokers. The contracts with the Labour Brokers are slowly but surely not being renewed and Mike finds himself with 150 drivers that he no longer has any work for as his contract was not renewed. Mike’s contract with all of his employees is a ‘temporary’ contract that does not have an end date, as Mike thought that this would be the easiest way to manage the employees, in the event that he lost contracts.
Mike decides that since he has lost the contract and therefore has no work for all of these drivers and since they are all ‘temporary’ staff anyway, he will just dismiss them and then that will be the end of that.
Mike sent out notices to all of the drivers advising them that the contract with ABC Logistics was coming to an end and that it would not be renewed and therefore his contract with the drivers would also be coming to an end.
When the contract ended, Mike dismissed all the drivers. George found himself another job and went to the CCMA as he did not receive a retrenchment package (also known as severance pay).
Mike found himself in hot water with a huge bill to pay. Here’s the thing – just because you have a ‘contract’ in place that says that you are a temporary employee, doesn’t make it so. A ‘temporary’ contract that does not have an ‘end date’ gives the employee a permanent status which means that his termination can only be for a very good reason.
Labour law is also extremely clear on what the requirements are in terms of severance pay and it is well documented. When retrenching staff the value of their severance pay or retrenchment packet hinges on the number of completed years that they have worked and be warned, there is no ceiling on this. So in George’s case, Mike had to pay out 15 weeks salary, but had George worked for Mike for 30 or even 40 years it would have made no difference – Mike would still need to pay one week for every completed year of service.
The only way that Mike could have avoided paying the severance pay would have been if he had offered George reasonable alternative employment, which in this instance clearly was not the case.
Mike learned the hard way, that even though he was a Labour Broker, his employees still needed to be treated fairly in terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and the Labour Relations Act.
Next time we will have a look at some of the other requirements for Labour Brokers.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Please note that this pertains to South African Labour Relations and Best Practice Requirements.
There has been a lot of controversy in the news of late regarding Labour Brokers and indeed, I have some clients who use Labour Brokers for their staffing requirements. Most people are under the impression that by using the services of a Labour Broker, they will save themselves the staffing problems and hassles that are usually incurred when dealing with employees – let me be clear on this, nothing is further from the truth! Here are some issues that employers need to understand when using Labour Brokers. These are, but not limited to:
Labour Broker employees enjoy exactly the same rights as any other employee under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. This means that even if the Labour Broker loses the client or the contract comes to an end, the employee cannot just be dismissed. Let’s bring in the protagonists.
Mike is a Labour Broker who employs hundreds if not thousands of employees all over the country. He has clients in every major sector and enjoys a mainly good relationship with most of his clients who range from small 5 employee requirements to clients who have need of hundreds of employees.
George is one of Mike’s employees. George has worked for Mike for the last 15 years, with the majority of that being in a Distribution Company (let’s call them ABC Logistics), where George is a driver.
ABC Logistics have undergone some intense restructuring of the company and have decided to go the route of ‘owner/driver’, which obviously has a huge impact on the 500 odd drivers that they employ from various Labour Brokers. The contracts with the Labour Brokers are slowly but surely not being renewed and Mike finds himself with 150 drivers that he no longer has any work for as his contract was not renewed. Mike’s contract with all of his employees is a ‘temporary’ contract that does not have an end date, as Mike thought that this would be the easiest way to manage the employees, in the event that he lost contracts.
Mike decides that since he has lost the contract and therefore has no work for all of these drivers and since they are all ‘temporary’ staff anyway, he will just dismiss them and then that will be the end of that.
Mike sent out notices to all of the drivers advising them that the contract with ABC Logistics was coming to an end and that it would not be renewed and therefore his contract with the drivers would also be coming to an end.
When the contract ended, Mike dismissed all the drivers. George found himself another job and went to the CCMA as he did not receive a retrenchment package (also known as severance pay).
Mike found himself in hot water with a huge bill to pay. Here’s the thing – just because you have a ‘contract’ in place that says that you are a temporary employee, doesn’t make it so. A ‘temporary’ contract that does not have an ‘end date’ gives the employee a permanent status which means that his termination can only be for a very good reason.
Labour law is also extremely clear on what the requirements are in terms of severance pay and it is well documented. When retrenching staff the value of their severance pay or retrenchment packet hinges on the number of completed years that they have worked and be warned, there is no ceiling on this. So in George’s case, Mike had to pay out 15 weeks salary, but had George worked for Mike for 30 or even 40 years it would have made no difference – Mike would still need to pay one week for every completed year of service.
The only way that Mike could have avoided paying the severance pay would have been if he had offered George reasonable alternative employment, which in this instance clearly was not the case.
Mike learned the hard way, that even though he was a Labour Broker, his employees still needed to be treated fairly in terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and the Labour Relations Act.
Next time we will have a look at some of the other requirements for Labour Brokers.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Thursday, March 14, 2019
Blogging 101 – Put It Out There
Blogging 101 – Put It Out There
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Over the last couple of months I have been asked several times, by nervous aspiring bloggers “How” to get their messages out there.
My advice – just get it out there!
Let me be absolutely clear about this – just getting it out there does NOT mean that you don’t have to do the research! Of course you do.
It’s great if you are 100% comfortable with your product or service, but there are always things that are changing. We all understand that technology changes at the speed of light (well that’s how it feels to me anyway). Then of course legislation also changes at a rapid rate. Market trends change and all of these changes impact on what you do and how you do it, so even if the information doesn’t change what you want to write about will, so chances are that is stuff that you need to know about anyway.
Just getting it out there also doesn’t mean that you should be doing a “slap dash” job. You should still be taking the time to think about what it is that you want to say and of course how you say it is also important in order to get the right message out. Be sure of your facts, be sure of your content and always be professional.
Just getting it out there also definitely does not mean that your idea or your article or your product or service will be successful. There are so many contributing factors to being successful and getting it out there is just one more little nudge going in the right direction.
It’s not all doom and gloom though because the positive side of getting it out there is (but not limited to):
- You’re online, you’re cultivating a following (well hopefully cultivating one), just as you are also following like-minded individuals or mentors or coaches.
- You’re not battling to get physical appointments with individuals who are jealously protected from people like you, by ‘gatekeepers’ and PA’s.
- Here you have an opportunity to be heard, to have your say, to state your case and say what you need to say – not only to one person or a handful of people who make up the Board, but to millions of people from all walks of life. People who are interested in what you have to offer or say.
- Online you are able to express yourself without the added pressure of being in front of a bunch of people who often (to your stressed out mind that is filled to capacity with anxiety) look like predators who haven’t eaten for months and who smell the strong scent of fresh meant – the fresh meat, of course, being you!
- Here online you can field comments and suggestions and consider all the input from around the globe, before responding . . . or not. People with ideas and comments that spark your imagination and who inspire you.
That’s just a tiny part of the appeal and the beauty of the internet.
Remember though, when you write your piece, that it’s good to consider all the feedback that you get and respond in whichever way you please but that if you’re are going to assume anything, assume that everybody – excluding yourself of course - everybody knows nothing! That way your words can be understood, comprehended and appreciated by everyone.
So go on . . . just get it out there!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Over the last couple of months I have been asked several times, by nervous aspiring bloggers “How” to get their messages out there.
My advice – just get it out there!
Let me be absolutely clear about this – just getting it out there does NOT mean that you don’t have to do the research! Of course you do.
It’s great if you are 100% comfortable with your product or service, but there are always things that are changing. We all understand that technology changes at the speed of light (well that’s how it feels to me anyway). Then of course legislation also changes at a rapid rate. Market trends change and all of these changes impact on what you do and how you do it, so even if the information doesn’t change what you want to write about will, so chances are that is stuff that you need to know about anyway.
Just getting it out there also doesn’t mean that you should be doing a “slap dash” job. You should still be taking the time to think about what it is that you want to say and of course how you say it is also important in order to get the right message out. Be sure of your facts, be sure of your content and always be professional.
Just getting it out there also definitely does not mean that your idea or your article or your product or service will be successful. There are so many contributing factors to being successful and getting it out there is just one more little nudge going in the right direction.
It’s not all doom and gloom though because the positive side of getting it out there is (but not limited to):
- You’re online, you’re cultivating a following (well hopefully cultivating one), just as you are also following like-minded individuals or mentors or coaches.
- You’re not battling to get physical appointments with individuals who are jealously protected from people like you, by ‘gatekeepers’ and PA’s.
- Here you have an opportunity to be heard, to have your say, to state your case and say what you need to say – not only to one person or a handful of people who make up the Board, but to millions of people from all walks of life. People who are interested in what you have to offer or say.
- Online you are able to express yourself without the added pressure of being in front of a bunch of people who often (to your stressed out mind that is filled to capacity with anxiety) look like predators who haven’t eaten for months and who smell the strong scent of fresh meant – the fresh meat, of course, being you!
- Here online you can field comments and suggestions and consider all the input from around the globe, before responding . . . or not. People with ideas and comments that spark your imagination and who inspire you.
That’s just a tiny part of the appeal and the beauty of the internet.
Remember though, when you write your piece, that it’s good to consider all the feedback that you get and respond in whichever way you please but that if you’re are going to assume anything, assume that everybody – excluding yourself of course - everybody knows nothing! That way your words can be understood, comprehended and appreciated by everyone.
So go on . . . just get it out there!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Networking 101 - An Easy Way to Reach New Clients
Networking 101 - An Easy Way to Reach New Clients
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
It is well documented and well known that the easiest way to increase your sales is to rope in and resurrect your existing and dormant clients.
The second easiest way to get new clients is from referral Networking. Let’s face it, the majority of us would rather make use of a supplier that someone has recommended than someone we have found in the yellow pages. I know for sure, which one I would rather use.
So how do you go about getting referrals? Well for me it is a ‘no brainer’. I do it through Networking. I have been Networking for a number of years now and the relationships that I have built up as a result of those networking events, pay up big time – really big time!
In the last week alone, I have formed 3 different collaborations with people within my own database and the result is that I have now got 3 different projects on the go. How exciting is that.
How did I originally meet these people? Well two of them I met through two different Networking meetings and the other was referred to me. How easy is that? It sure as hell beats knocking on doors and doing cold calling.
Remember though, you have to build the relationships and maintain them and you have to recognise the opportunity and then act on it. Don’t be discouraged if things don’t happen immediately. Stay focused and keep going – pretty soon the business will just start flying in.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
It is well documented and well known that the easiest way to increase your sales is to rope in and resurrect your existing and dormant clients.
The second easiest way to get new clients is from referral Networking. Let’s face it, the majority of us would rather make use of a supplier that someone has recommended than someone we have found in the yellow pages. I know for sure, which one I would rather use.
So how do you go about getting referrals? Well for me it is a ‘no brainer’. I do it through Networking. I have been Networking for a number of years now and the relationships that I have built up as a result of those networking events, pay up big time – really big time!
In the last week alone, I have formed 3 different collaborations with people within my own database and the result is that I have now got 3 different projects on the go. How exciting is that.
How did I originally meet these people? Well two of them I met through two different Networking meetings and the other was referred to me. How easy is that? It sure as hell beats knocking on doors and doing cold calling.
Remember though, you have to build the relationships and maintain them and you have to recognise the opportunity and then act on it. Don’t be discouraged if things don’t happen immediately. Stay focused and keep going – pretty soon the business will just start flying in.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Business Tips – A Startup Never Closes
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Judging from some of the queries and e-mails that I have been getting over the last couple of months, it is abundantly clear that the perception around business startups is really, really, really skewered.
I know that at the moment, everyone wants to be a “CEO” or a “Director” and that on the face of things it is not a bad thing – it’s good to dream. The reality though is that having a title won’t make your business a success and having a title doesn’t mean that you can sit back and delegate all the tasks and that’s the extent of your involvement in the business.
The reality is that as a startup – more often than not, you are not only the “CEO”, but also the PA, the marketing department, the admin department, the tea lady (whether you are male or female) and the delivery driver. The reality is that although your ‘doors’ may close to customers at the end of the day, it is highly unlikely that your business duties will allow you to pack up and have the luxury of putting your tools down for the day.
Sadly many corporate employees look at their bosses or directors and see only what they want to see – the afternoons playing golf or the expensive cars or expensive clothes. What they don’t see is all the hard work, the 18 hour days and no week-ends to public holidays, the loss of family life. They don’t see the working while you are under the weather and sick, and oh . . don’t forget the trying to convince yourself that you were in bed for two days recuperating from a surgical procedure and those days amount to your time off for the next 6 months.
When you work from home, unless you control it, it actually becomes worse. Going upstairs to bed at night, I more often than not turn right at the top of the stairs – into the office, instead of left into the bedroom.
I soon realized that no matter how ‘smart’ I worked, I needed to put in the long hours in order to set things up and get ahead of the competition. I knew that I had to make the sacrifices then, in order for me to reap the rewards further on down the line.
Needless to say, many would be Entrepreneurs give up and fall by the wayside, disillusioned by the world of business – the reality of what it takes to grow and run a sustainable business, victims of their own shortsighted, un-researched, rose-tinted expectations.
Most return to the types of bosses from whence they came, blaming the government, the red tape, the economy and in fact everyone other than themselves, unwilling to take the responsibility for their own lack of judgment. Some forage forward to the next pipe dream or hare brained scheme of ‘instant riches’ that can be amassed, again without any idea of ‘what it takes’ to achieve the type of success that only successful people can make look so easy.
Understand though – in order for them to have achieved that level of success in their businesses, they have had to put in the time – they have had to make the sacrifices, often at the cost of their marriages, their families and their loved ones and they have had to remain focused on their goals. Ultimately they have had to believe in themselves.
Question is – do you believe enough in yourself and are you willing to make this kind of sacrifice?
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Judging from some of the queries and e-mails that I have been getting over the last couple of months, it is abundantly clear that the perception around business startups is really, really, really skewered.
I know that at the moment, everyone wants to be a “CEO” or a “Director” and that on the face of things it is not a bad thing – it’s good to dream. The reality though is that having a title won’t make your business a success and having a title doesn’t mean that you can sit back and delegate all the tasks and that’s the extent of your involvement in the business.
The reality is that as a startup – more often than not, you are not only the “CEO”, but also the PA, the marketing department, the admin department, the tea lady (whether you are male or female) and the delivery driver. The reality is that although your ‘doors’ may close to customers at the end of the day, it is highly unlikely that your business duties will allow you to pack up and have the luxury of putting your tools down for the day.
Sadly many corporate employees look at their bosses or directors and see only what they want to see – the afternoons playing golf or the expensive cars or expensive clothes. What they don’t see is all the hard work, the 18 hour days and no week-ends to public holidays, the loss of family life. They don’t see the working while you are under the weather and sick, and oh . . don’t forget the trying to convince yourself that you were in bed for two days recuperating from a surgical procedure and those days amount to your time off for the next 6 months.
When you work from home, unless you control it, it actually becomes worse. Going upstairs to bed at night, I more often than not turn right at the top of the stairs – into the office, instead of left into the bedroom.
I soon realized that no matter how ‘smart’ I worked, I needed to put in the long hours in order to set things up and get ahead of the competition. I knew that I had to make the sacrifices then, in order for me to reap the rewards further on down the line.
Needless to say, many would be Entrepreneurs give up and fall by the wayside, disillusioned by the world of business – the reality of what it takes to grow and run a sustainable business, victims of their own shortsighted, un-researched, rose-tinted expectations.
Most return to the types of bosses from whence they came, blaming the government, the red tape, the economy and in fact everyone other than themselves, unwilling to take the responsibility for their own lack of judgment. Some forage forward to the next pipe dream or hare brained scheme of ‘instant riches’ that can be amassed, again without any idea of ‘what it takes’ to achieve the type of success that only successful people can make look so easy.
Understand though – in order for them to have achieved that level of success in their businesses, they have had to put in the time – they have had to make the sacrifices, often at the cost of their marriages, their families and their loved ones and they have had to remain focused on their goals. Ultimately they have had to believe in themselves.
Question is – do you believe enough in yourself and are you willing to make this kind of sacrifice?
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Monday, March 11, 2019
Inspiration – A Certain Set of Attitudes
Inspiration – A Certain Set of Attitudes
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Hugh Dawns says “A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.”
I attended a Women’s month function at GIBS a while back and what an inspiring bunch of women I met there.
One of the issues that came out of the interactions was the fact that here in South Africa, failure is viewed in a very negative light. The reality of life however, shows failure very differently.
You see, if you look at the history books, really successful people have all at one time or another been failures. Their one redeeming quality however is the manner in which they reacted to, or how they handled their failures. They got back up and tried again, and again, and again. If the truth be told they continued to try until they got it right.
They certainly did not lie there broken in heart and spirit, moaning about how the government, the tax man, the economy, the competition (insert any thing else that you would like here) have caused their downfall. They have picked themselves up, dusted themselves down, taken what they have learnt from the experience and tried again.
Whatever the circumstances that they have found themselves in, their attitude to what they actually want to achieve has been their driving force and it is what has fueled their passion.
So use your energy differently. Instead of blaming everyone and everything for what is happening to you – turn it around and look at the lessons that you can or have learnt. Use those lessons wisely, get back up onto your feet and with your eyes fixed firmly on the future – and try again.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Hugh Dawns says “A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.”
I attended a Women’s month function at GIBS a while back and what an inspiring bunch of women I met there.
One of the issues that came out of the interactions was the fact that here in South Africa, failure is viewed in a very negative light. The reality of life however, shows failure very differently.
You see, if you look at the history books, really successful people have all at one time or another been failures. Their one redeeming quality however is the manner in which they reacted to, or how they handled their failures. They got back up and tried again, and again, and again. If the truth be told they continued to try until they got it right.
They certainly did not lie there broken in heart and spirit, moaning about how the government, the tax man, the economy, the competition (insert any thing else that you would like here) have caused their downfall. They have picked themselves up, dusted themselves down, taken what they have learnt from the experience and tried again.
Whatever the circumstances that they have found themselves in, their attitude to what they actually want to achieve has been their driving force and it is what has fueled their passion.
So use your energy differently. Instead of blaming everyone and everything for what is happening to you – turn it around and look at the lessons that you can or have learnt. Use those lessons wisely, get back up onto your feet and with your eyes fixed firmly on the future – and try again.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Friday, March 08, 2019
HR 101 - Desertion and the AWOL Employee – Part 3
HR 101 - Desertion and the AWOL Employee – Part 3
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Please note that this pertains to South African Labour Relations and Best Practice requirements.
Over the last two weeks we have had a look at an example of desertion where the employee just did not ever come back to work and one where the employee did come back to work. This time let’s look at a different example.
So bring in the protagonists – Mike owns a chain of retail stores in various busy malls across the country. George is one of his managers. Let’s use the busy Christmas time type scene again. It’s a Thursday morning and Jane (the Assistant Store Manager) calls Mike to tell him that George has not arrived for work and there is a queue of clients (as well as the rest of the staff) waiting for the store to open.
Understandably, Mike is somewhat annoyed but he hurries off with the store spare keys to open up. Mike tries to contact George on all of the numbers that he has to no avail and then resigns himself to the fact that George won’t be in for the day. Mike’s procedures are well documented and he goes about doing a formal hand over to Jane, who grabs the opportunity willingly as she wants to prove herself and get ahead.
On Friday (day two) Jane advises Mike that once again George has not arrived at work and they try and contact him again, leaving messages all over.
Saturday (day three), Jane again advises that George has not arrived at work and again they try and contact him, leaving messages for him everywhere.
Sunday (day four), Jane makes the call again to advise Mike that George has not arrived for work.
Monday morning early George arrives together with a long story of how he was kidnapped. Mike, who was furious, now feels remorse about his anger and now starts feeling pity for his traumatised employee instead. A thought keeps popping into his head however because for someone who was kidnapped and physically restrained (as per George’s story) and held without food or water in a dark room, there is no visible signs of any trauma. Mike decides to ‘keep it tidy’ and asks George for the Police Case Number and hospital records where George was ‘checked out’ to ensure that he was okay, for the records.
Several days later after much nagging, George breaks down and admits that there is no case number as he did not report it to the police and he did not go to the hospital because well, there was no kidnapping. The actual event that took place was that George went out drinking with his friends on the Wednesday evening and they continued to drink through the night and then all of Thursday too. At some point it was decided in their alcoholic haze that they needed an excuse as to why none of them had gone to work and they came up with the kidnapping story. The alcoholic binge had continued through Friday and Saturday as well and George had slept through Saturday night and all day Sunday which is why he was able to return to work on Monday morning.
Furious again, Mike brought disciplinary charges against George for being AWOL (following the correct procedures of course) and George was found guilty. The days that he had been off were calculated as unpaid leave and the money was deducted from George’s salary. George’s elaborate story also had consequences. George was demoted and lost his title of Manager and Jane was promoted into his position.
That concludes the examples of the difference between ‘Desertion’ and being AWOL. Next time we will look at a new topic.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Please note that this pertains to South African Labour Relations and Best Practice requirements.
Over the last two weeks we have had a look at an example of desertion where the employee just did not ever come back to work and one where the employee did come back to work. This time let’s look at a different example.
So bring in the protagonists – Mike owns a chain of retail stores in various busy malls across the country. George is one of his managers. Let’s use the busy Christmas time type scene again. It’s a Thursday morning and Jane (the Assistant Store Manager) calls Mike to tell him that George has not arrived for work and there is a queue of clients (as well as the rest of the staff) waiting for the store to open.
Understandably, Mike is somewhat annoyed but he hurries off with the store spare keys to open up. Mike tries to contact George on all of the numbers that he has to no avail and then resigns himself to the fact that George won’t be in for the day. Mike’s procedures are well documented and he goes about doing a formal hand over to Jane, who grabs the opportunity willingly as she wants to prove herself and get ahead.
On Friday (day two) Jane advises Mike that once again George has not arrived at work and they try and contact him again, leaving messages all over.
Saturday (day three), Jane again advises that George has not arrived at work and again they try and contact him, leaving messages for him everywhere.
Sunday (day four), Jane makes the call again to advise Mike that George has not arrived for work.
Monday morning early George arrives together with a long story of how he was kidnapped. Mike, who was furious, now feels remorse about his anger and now starts feeling pity for his traumatised employee instead. A thought keeps popping into his head however because for someone who was kidnapped and physically restrained (as per George’s story) and held without food or water in a dark room, there is no visible signs of any trauma. Mike decides to ‘keep it tidy’ and asks George for the Police Case Number and hospital records where George was ‘checked out’ to ensure that he was okay, for the records.
Several days later after much nagging, George breaks down and admits that there is no case number as he did not report it to the police and he did not go to the hospital because well, there was no kidnapping. The actual event that took place was that George went out drinking with his friends on the Wednesday evening and they continued to drink through the night and then all of Thursday too. At some point it was decided in their alcoholic haze that they needed an excuse as to why none of them had gone to work and they came up with the kidnapping story. The alcoholic binge had continued through Friday and Saturday as well and George had slept through Saturday night and all day Sunday which is why he was able to return to work on Monday morning.
Furious again, Mike brought disciplinary charges against George for being AWOL (following the correct procedures of course) and George was found guilty. The days that he had been off were calculated as unpaid leave and the money was deducted from George’s salary. George’s elaborate story also had consequences. George was demoted and lost his title of Manager and Jane was promoted into his position.
That concludes the examples of the difference between ‘Desertion’ and being AWOL. Next time we will look at a new topic.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Thursday, March 07, 2019
Blogging 101 – Lessons to Make Your Blog Ratings Soar
Blogging 101 – Lessons to Make Your Blog Ratings Soar
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Contrary to popular belief, there are millions of bloggers out there, all who have a voice of sorts, many of whom have something intelligent to say (and of course those who just sprout absolute nonsense.) How on earth do you get your voice (or writing in this case) to be heard above the clatter?
Here are some thoughts of mine that may help . .
1. Those who know me will attest to the fact that I tell it like it is. I don’t sugar coat things which means of course, that often what I write about is not necessarily what you want to hear. Quite honestly, it is also often what I need to hear.
This means that I often tackle subject matter that is universally known as the ‘tough stuff’ and to make myself clear (and in the spirit of transparency,) I don’t mince my words. I don’t cross over the lines of the law or name and shame very often (and that would pertain strictly to individuals although I have on occasion named Companies) and one of my friends often says “Nikki! You need a filter!” my response to that is “I’ve never had one and I’m too old and cranky to get one now!”
All of that said, I do believe that it is a good thing to have those ‘difficult conversations’ once in a while and in view of the fact that I write the same way that I speak, I consider these blogs as my contribution to humanity.
2. Share the love! (or in this case the information). Find like minded individuals and get them to post the blogs on their FB pages or on their websites and allow them to do the same on yours. Obviously this means that you will reach a far greater audience.
Be sure though to collaborate with individuals who share the same passions that you do rather than just someone who is willing to let anyone post, as long as they have content.
Let me give you some examples – I was recently approached by someone in the “wellness” industry and believe me when I say “wellness” industry with my tongue in my cheek. Without saying the name, they sell a well known men’s “bits and pieces” enhancement pills and they figured that many of my readers are male and that qualified and entitled them to post on my blogs. As an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist, I of course had a different perspective. Despite the fact that many of their readers may be Entrepreneurs, the fact of the matter is that my post on their website and visa versa, would be inappropriate.
It would also be prudent to do some research and check them out. Are they who they say they are and do they do what they say they do? Check out some of their posts – are they aligned to what you do and visa versa.
Remember too that this is a collaboration so you both need to benefit in terms of traffic to your website or other social media coverage.
3. Tip number 2 flows neatly into tip number 3. It doesn’t have to be your own material. No-where is it written that you have to only use your own material! It’s your blog and you can do as you please!
That said of course, it is always a good idea to get the other author’s permission and make sure that you give them the credit.
If you don’t even know who the wrote the material, be sure to mention that. It will strengthen your credibility and your trustworthiness.
4. Finally, many people are of the opinion that you should blog or tweet, not both!
I say “the hell with that” and do both! The reality is that some folk enjoy tweets as opposed to blogs and others prefer it the other way around. Why not cater to both? Either way, the choice is yours – there is no wrong or right way here, it’s what suits you the best.
Till next time . . . happy blogging!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Contrary to popular belief, there are millions of bloggers out there, all who have a voice of sorts, many of whom have something intelligent to say (and of course those who just sprout absolute nonsense.) How on earth do you get your voice (or writing in this case) to be heard above the clatter?
Here are some thoughts of mine that may help . .
1. Those who know me will attest to the fact that I tell it like it is. I don’t sugar coat things which means of course, that often what I write about is not necessarily what you want to hear. Quite honestly, it is also often what I need to hear.
This means that I often tackle subject matter that is universally known as the ‘tough stuff’ and to make myself clear (and in the spirit of transparency,) I don’t mince my words. I don’t cross over the lines of the law or name and shame very often (and that would pertain strictly to individuals although I have on occasion named Companies) and one of my friends often says “Nikki! You need a filter!” my response to that is “I’ve never had one and I’m too old and cranky to get one now!”
All of that said, I do believe that it is a good thing to have those ‘difficult conversations’ once in a while and in view of the fact that I write the same way that I speak, I consider these blogs as my contribution to humanity.
2. Share the love! (or in this case the information). Find like minded individuals and get them to post the blogs on their FB pages or on their websites and allow them to do the same on yours. Obviously this means that you will reach a far greater audience.
Be sure though to collaborate with individuals who share the same passions that you do rather than just someone who is willing to let anyone post, as long as they have content.
Let me give you some examples – I was recently approached by someone in the “wellness” industry and believe me when I say “wellness” industry with my tongue in my cheek. Without saying the name, they sell a well known men’s “bits and pieces” enhancement pills and they figured that many of my readers are male and that qualified and entitled them to post on my blogs. As an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist, I of course had a different perspective. Despite the fact that many of their readers may be Entrepreneurs, the fact of the matter is that my post on their website and visa versa, would be inappropriate.
It would also be prudent to do some research and check them out. Are they who they say they are and do they do what they say they do? Check out some of their posts – are they aligned to what you do and visa versa.
Remember too that this is a collaboration so you both need to benefit in terms of traffic to your website or other social media coverage.
3. Tip number 2 flows neatly into tip number 3. It doesn’t have to be your own material. No-where is it written that you have to only use your own material! It’s your blog and you can do as you please!
That said of course, it is always a good idea to get the other author’s permission and make sure that you give them the credit.
If you don’t even know who the wrote the material, be sure to mention that. It will strengthen your credibility and your trustworthiness.
4. Finally, many people are of the opinion that you should blog or tweet, not both!
I say “the hell with that” and do both! The reality is that some folk enjoy tweets as opposed to blogs and others prefer it the other way around. Why not cater to both? Either way, the choice is yours – there is no wrong or right way here, it’s what suits you the best.
Till next time . . . happy blogging!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Wednesday, March 06, 2019
Networking 101 - Brand Yourself
Networking 101 - Brand Yourself
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Dr. Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:
“Brand yourself. Find a way of making yourself memorable.”
I know that this is a subject that I have touched on many times before, but perhaps it is time to re-visit it.
You see, I have been going through my database, it’s something that I do on a regular basis, when I send mails out. This time though it has also been a clean up. So as I sent the mails out, and they bounced back, I made a concerted effort of deciding whether I should contact the person and ascertain why it is that their mails are bouncing or if it was time to remove that particular person’s information from my database.
It’s a good thing you know, to ‘clean’ out your database from time to time, to ensure that it is current and up to date.
Now here’s the thing, you see about 70% of the bounced mails belong to people who I have no recollection of. Looking at the information that I have on them, I can tell you where I met them and even the name of their business or who introduced them to me, but I cannot remember what they look like or even what they do.
That’s a problem – I know that I have a really bad memory for names and faces, which is why I always add in the additional information about them (where I met them, or who introduced them to me and so on), but not to remember what they do – well that for me is not good. I usually have even a vague idea what it is that people do, particularly if they have made a really great impression on my mind – which obviously in terms of the people who I cannot remember have not done.
To make a good impression on my mind (or anyone else for that matter) means that the branding has to be particularly strong, especially in the instances where the name of the Company does not give out any kind of clues as to what the person does. I mean if the name of the Company is ABC Plumbing, it’s pretty certain that the person is a plumber, but if the name of the Company is ABC Consulting, then I have a problem.
So make sure that your branding is very strong, that the way that you present yourself or what it is that you do, makes you stand out in the crowd and not just for a moment, but also for time to come. So that even people like me, who have a bad memory for names and faces, will not forget what it is that you do.
If I don’t remember what you do, then I cannot refer you or your services and having your name and contact details in my database actually serves no purpose what-so-ever.
For more information on Renate, please visit her website at http://www.drrenatevolpe.co.za
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Dr. Renate Volpe, in her nugget cards entitled “Networking Tips” says:
“Brand yourself. Find a way of making yourself memorable.”
I know that this is a subject that I have touched on many times before, but perhaps it is time to re-visit it.
You see, I have been going through my database, it’s something that I do on a regular basis, when I send mails out. This time though it has also been a clean up. So as I sent the mails out, and they bounced back, I made a concerted effort of deciding whether I should contact the person and ascertain why it is that their mails are bouncing or if it was time to remove that particular person’s information from my database.
It’s a good thing you know, to ‘clean’ out your database from time to time, to ensure that it is current and up to date.
Now here’s the thing, you see about 70% of the bounced mails belong to people who I have no recollection of. Looking at the information that I have on them, I can tell you where I met them and even the name of their business or who introduced them to me, but I cannot remember what they look like or even what they do.
That’s a problem – I know that I have a really bad memory for names and faces, which is why I always add in the additional information about them (where I met them, or who introduced them to me and so on), but not to remember what they do – well that for me is not good. I usually have even a vague idea what it is that people do, particularly if they have made a really great impression on my mind – which obviously in terms of the people who I cannot remember have not done.
To make a good impression on my mind (or anyone else for that matter) means that the branding has to be particularly strong, especially in the instances where the name of the Company does not give out any kind of clues as to what the person does. I mean if the name of the Company is ABC Plumbing, it’s pretty certain that the person is a plumber, but if the name of the Company is ABC Consulting, then I have a problem.
So make sure that your branding is very strong, that the way that you present yourself or what it is that you do, makes you stand out in the crowd and not just for a moment, but also for time to come. So that even people like me, who have a bad memory for names and faces, will not forget what it is that you do.
If I don’t remember what you do, then I cannot refer you or your services and having your name and contact details in my database actually serves no purpose what-so-ever.
For more information on Renate, please visit her website at http://www.drrenatevolpe.co.za
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Tuesday, March 05, 2019
Business Tips – An Abundance of Resources
Business Tips – An Abundance of Resources
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Dr Renate Volpe, in her Leadership Insights nuggets says “Interdependence requires a shift in perception from a belief in the scarceness of resources, to the knowledge of an abundance of them.”
Wow! What a profound statement and how absolutely true. I think that on some level, as we grow into adults we begin to be ruled by our fears. That’s just crazy – much like the ‘tail wagging the dog’! Think about it for a moment – as children, we did not worry where our next meal was coming from or whether there were clean clothes to wear (or any clothes for that matter), we trusted that meals would arrive as would clothes and other necessities. As we grew up though, we started the whole ‘fear’ cycle. We became afraid of things on many levels, where the money would come from to buy the dance lessons or the new dress that we absolutely have to have or even fear of how our peers saw and what they thought of us.
So we get past the raging hormones of our teenage years, which always add to the conflict and as young adults we enter the Corporate world (well the majority of us do) and here the fear really sets in – we’re scared of what our colleagues may think of us, or that they will get the promotion before we do. We form, what we think are strategic alliances (much like the ones on the current Survivor series) and they generally fall down as none of us have been quite as honest and as up front and as ‘transparent’ as we should have been. We grapple and grope our way to the top, stepping on toes and even heads of people as we strive to get ahead, because ‘well there’s only one position available and I want it!’
Hopefully somewhere along the line we have an Oprah “Ah Ha” moment and our mindset changes and we see that actually, there is not only ‘one’ position available but as many positions and opportunities as we are willing to see, available.
Even for those of us in our own businesses, the opportunities and abundance is there for the taking, all we have to do is actually see them and then do something about them.
Remember though, that without the ‘action’ there is nothing. It doesn’t matter how many opportunities come your way, if you don’t do anything about them then that is all that they remain – an opportunity.
So open your eyes and look around you – if you are really ‘looking’ and really ‘seeing’, you will be amazed at what is available.
(https://www.allhappyquotes.com/best-motivational-quotes/)
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Dr Renate Volpe, in her Leadership Insights nuggets says “Interdependence requires a shift in perception from a belief in the scarceness of resources, to the knowledge of an abundance of them.”
Wow! What a profound statement and how absolutely true. I think that on some level, as we grow into adults we begin to be ruled by our fears. That’s just crazy – much like the ‘tail wagging the dog’! Think about it for a moment – as children, we did not worry where our next meal was coming from or whether there were clean clothes to wear (or any clothes for that matter), we trusted that meals would arrive as would clothes and other necessities. As we grew up though, we started the whole ‘fear’ cycle. We became afraid of things on many levels, where the money would come from to buy the dance lessons or the new dress that we absolutely have to have or even fear of how our peers saw and what they thought of us.
So we get past the raging hormones of our teenage years, which always add to the conflict and as young adults we enter the Corporate world (well the majority of us do) and here the fear really sets in – we’re scared of what our colleagues may think of us, or that they will get the promotion before we do. We form, what we think are strategic alliances (much like the ones on the current Survivor series) and they generally fall down as none of us have been quite as honest and as up front and as ‘transparent’ as we should have been. We grapple and grope our way to the top, stepping on toes and even heads of people as we strive to get ahead, because ‘well there’s only one position available and I want it!’
Hopefully somewhere along the line we have an Oprah “Ah Ha” moment and our mindset changes and we see that actually, there is not only ‘one’ position available but as many positions and opportunities as we are willing to see, available.
Even for those of us in our own businesses, the opportunities and abundance is there for the taking, all we have to do is actually see them and then do something about them.
Remember though, that without the ‘action’ there is nothing. It doesn’t matter how many opportunities come your way, if you don’t do anything about them then that is all that they remain – an opportunity.
So open your eyes and look around you – if you are really ‘looking’ and really ‘seeing’, you will be amazed at what is available.
(https://www.allhappyquotes.com/best-motivational-quotes/)
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Monday, March 04, 2019
Inspiration – Take the Decision to Act . . . Then Act!
Inspiration – Take the Decision to Act . . . Then Act!
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Tony Robbins says “A real decision is measure by the fact that you’ve taken new action. If there’s no action, then you haven’t really decided.”
We’ve all heard the smoker or the alcoholic or drug addict say something along the lines of “I’ve really, really tried, but I just can’t do it!”
Here’s a fact, I started smoking at the age of 14. Everyone at school was doing it (well all the “bad” girls were), so I made a decision and that was that I would join them and smoke. So it wasn’t something that ‘happened’ to me or that I was forced into. It was a conscious decision that I took to put the cigarette into my mouth and light it and puff on it! It was also my decision to take the second puff, even though I had coughed badly and down the line it was also my decision to light the second cigarette and so on.
During the following years, I smoked a pipe as well as cigars. I actually gave up for six months in the early 70s and then I started again. It was a decision that I made and stuck to until one day after a particularly great meal out with friends, I was offered a cigar and accepted and smoked believing that it was a once off thing. It wasn’t. Here’s the thing, when you make a decision like stopping smoking the ‘action’ part of it has to be for the rest of your life, because if you let your guard down for one moment and you’re tempted, it’s over. . and you will have to start from the beginning again. I digress, back to the story. I never did smoke a cigarette again but I continued to smoke cigars and cigarillos, telling myself that they were better for me than cigarettes. Again, it was a decision that I made.
In 1993, full of sinus and respiratory problems, I again made the decision to stop smoking and I haven’t smoked anything since.
The bottom line is that this time, once I had made the decision, I acted on it and have acted on it every single day since then.
How did I manage this? My late father always used to say to me “You are not responsible for the name that you bring into this world because it is the name that I gave you, but you are responsible for the name that you take out of this world because it is the name that you have made for yourself.” Consequently I have always been very aware of the fact that I have to keep my word. When I say that I am going to do something, then I have to do it. It is my word, my bond, my name and it affects my credibility.
So this time when I made the decision to stop smoking, I told everybody that would listen and I’m pretty sure there were some who didn’t want to listen, that I would be stopping smoking as well as the date and time. In this way, I had no option but to stop as I had given my word and of course now my credibility was on the line.
Here’s the lesson, when you need to make a change in your life and you have made the decision, make sure that the ‘pain point’ is far greater that the ‘pleasure’.
In this case my ‘pain point’ being the loss of face and my credibility was (and still is) far greater than any pleasure that I have derived from smoking.
This knowledge has been one the most important lessons that I have learnt and one that I use on a daily basis and especially when I have to make an important decision.
What will hurt me more than what the pleasure is of doing . . . ?
It’s one that you could also us to help you when you need to make those important decisions that will change a habit.
Good luck!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Tony Robbins says “A real decision is measure by the fact that you’ve taken new action. If there’s no action, then you haven’t really decided.”
We’ve all heard the smoker or the alcoholic or drug addict say something along the lines of “I’ve really, really tried, but I just can’t do it!”
Here’s a fact, I started smoking at the age of 14. Everyone at school was doing it (well all the “bad” girls were), so I made a decision and that was that I would join them and smoke. So it wasn’t something that ‘happened’ to me or that I was forced into. It was a conscious decision that I took to put the cigarette into my mouth and light it and puff on it! It was also my decision to take the second puff, even though I had coughed badly and down the line it was also my decision to light the second cigarette and so on.
During the following years, I smoked a pipe as well as cigars. I actually gave up for six months in the early 70s and then I started again. It was a decision that I made and stuck to until one day after a particularly great meal out with friends, I was offered a cigar and accepted and smoked believing that it was a once off thing. It wasn’t. Here’s the thing, when you make a decision like stopping smoking the ‘action’ part of it has to be for the rest of your life, because if you let your guard down for one moment and you’re tempted, it’s over. . and you will have to start from the beginning again. I digress, back to the story. I never did smoke a cigarette again but I continued to smoke cigars and cigarillos, telling myself that they were better for me than cigarettes. Again, it was a decision that I made.
In 1993, full of sinus and respiratory problems, I again made the decision to stop smoking and I haven’t smoked anything since.
The bottom line is that this time, once I had made the decision, I acted on it and have acted on it every single day since then.
How did I manage this? My late father always used to say to me “You are not responsible for the name that you bring into this world because it is the name that I gave you, but you are responsible for the name that you take out of this world because it is the name that you have made for yourself.” Consequently I have always been very aware of the fact that I have to keep my word. When I say that I am going to do something, then I have to do it. It is my word, my bond, my name and it affects my credibility.
So this time when I made the decision to stop smoking, I told everybody that would listen and I’m pretty sure there were some who didn’t want to listen, that I would be stopping smoking as well as the date and time. In this way, I had no option but to stop as I had given my word and of course now my credibility was on the line.
Here’s the lesson, when you need to make a change in your life and you have made the decision, make sure that the ‘pain point’ is far greater that the ‘pleasure’.
In this case my ‘pain point’ being the loss of face and my credibility was (and still is) far greater than any pleasure that I have derived from smoking.
This knowledge has been one the most important lessons that I have learnt and one that I use on a daily basis and especially when I have to make an important decision.
What will hurt me more than what the pleasure is of doing . . . ?
It’s one that you could also us to help you when you need to make those important decisions that will change a habit.
Good luck!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Friday, March 01, 2019
HR 101 - Desertion and the AWOL Employee – Part 2
HR 101 - Desertion and the AWOL Employee – Part 2
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Please note that this pertains to South African Labour Relations and Best Practice requirements.
Last time we had a look at an example of desertion where the employee just did not ever come back to work. This time let’s look at a different example.
So bring in the protagonists – Mike owns a chain of retail stores in various busy malls across the country. George is one of his managers. Let’s use the busy Christmas time type scene again. It’s a Thursday afternoon and George is counting the hours until the weekend as he is taking his monthly weekend off and plans to go home to visit his mother who is in a small town about 200kms from where he lives. George’s mother is not very well and he is looking forward to spending some quality time with her.
The phone rings and it is George’s mother’s neighbour Annabel, who is calling to tell George that his mother has taken a turn for the worst and he must come home immediately. Mike happens to be in the store when the call comes in and he tells George to leave immediately and take the Friday off as well and that this extra day together with the weekend will give George sufficient time to sort something out for his mother and make whatever arrangements need to be made for her well being.
George gets to his mother and she insists that she wants to see the traditional healer from her home town which is more than 1000kms away. George takes her.
Herein lies the problem. You see Mike is expecting George to return to work on Monday and George does not return and also does not phone in to explain what he is doing. In fact George does not return to work for another two weeks and during this whole period he does not contact Mike or any other colleagues. After George not being at work for 5 days and in compliance with the Basic Conditions of employment Act and the Labour Relations Act, Mike follows the correct procedure. Mike tries to phone all the contact numbers that he has on record for George. Mike sends a telegram to George’s place of residence and even drives there to see if he can get hold of George. To all intents and purposes, George has disappeared.
Eventually Mike holds the disciplinary in abstentia, George is found guilty of desertion and he is dismissed.
When George eventually does return to work, he is informed that he has been dismissed and that there is another person employed in his position.
Now here is the question – under these circumstanced did George desert and abandon his employment or was it just a case of his being AWOL. The question that the CCMA has to look at also is whether the reason for George’s dismissal was a fair one.
Well the argument goes along the lines of, when George did not return on the Monday after his weekend off, surely Mike must have considered the possibility that George was not able to sort his mother out and that is why he had been delayed in returning.
Mike on the other hand, did also not have anyone to fill George’s position and it was also the busiest time of the retail year. George did not contact Mike during the entire period that he was away and he also did not respond to any messages that were left on his cell phone. George’s response to why he did not contact Mike was that he was concerned for his mother and did not think to phone as Mike knew that his mother was ill.
Now here’s the thing – in order to find an employee ‘guilty of desertion’ there must be a very strong indication that that employee has no intention of returning to work. Clearly this is not the case here and the result of this is that Mike lost his case.
Desertion is defined as “desertion is distinguishable from absence without leave in that the employee who deserts his or her post does so with the intention of not returning, or having left his or her post, subsequently formulates the intention not to return. On the other hand, the AWOL employee is absent with the intention of resuming his or her employment.”
Next time we will have a look at a typical case of being AWOL (Absent without leave).
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Please note that this pertains to South African Labour Relations and Best Practice requirements.
Last time we had a look at an example of desertion where the employee just did not ever come back to work. This time let’s look at a different example.
So bring in the protagonists – Mike owns a chain of retail stores in various busy malls across the country. George is one of his managers. Let’s use the busy Christmas time type scene again. It’s a Thursday afternoon and George is counting the hours until the weekend as he is taking his monthly weekend off and plans to go home to visit his mother who is in a small town about 200kms from where he lives. George’s mother is not very well and he is looking forward to spending some quality time with her.
The phone rings and it is George’s mother’s neighbour Annabel, who is calling to tell George that his mother has taken a turn for the worst and he must come home immediately. Mike happens to be in the store when the call comes in and he tells George to leave immediately and take the Friday off as well and that this extra day together with the weekend will give George sufficient time to sort something out for his mother and make whatever arrangements need to be made for her well being.
George gets to his mother and she insists that she wants to see the traditional healer from her home town which is more than 1000kms away. George takes her.
Herein lies the problem. You see Mike is expecting George to return to work on Monday and George does not return and also does not phone in to explain what he is doing. In fact George does not return to work for another two weeks and during this whole period he does not contact Mike or any other colleagues. After George not being at work for 5 days and in compliance with the Basic Conditions of employment Act and the Labour Relations Act, Mike follows the correct procedure. Mike tries to phone all the contact numbers that he has on record for George. Mike sends a telegram to George’s place of residence and even drives there to see if he can get hold of George. To all intents and purposes, George has disappeared.
Eventually Mike holds the disciplinary in abstentia, George is found guilty of desertion and he is dismissed.
When George eventually does return to work, he is informed that he has been dismissed and that there is another person employed in his position.
Now here is the question – under these circumstanced did George desert and abandon his employment or was it just a case of his being AWOL. The question that the CCMA has to look at also is whether the reason for George’s dismissal was a fair one.
Well the argument goes along the lines of, when George did not return on the Monday after his weekend off, surely Mike must have considered the possibility that George was not able to sort his mother out and that is why he had been delayed in returning.
Mike on the other hand, did also not have anyone to fill George’s position and it was also the busiest time of the retail year. George did not contact Mike during the entire period that he was away and he also did not respond to any messages that were left on his cell phone. George’s response to why he did not contact Mike was that he was concerned for his mother and did not think to phone as Mike knew that his mother was ill.
Now here’s the thing – in order to find an employee ‘guilty of desertion’ there must be a very strong indication that that employee has no intention of returning to work. Clearly this is not the case here and the result of this is that Mike lost his case.
Desertion is defined as “desertion is distinguishable from absence without leave in that the employee who deserts his or her post does so with the intention of not returning, or having left his or her post, subsequently formulates the intention not to return. On the other hand, the AWOL employee is absent with the intention of resuming his or her employment.”
Next time we will have a look at a typical case of being AWOL (Absent without leave).
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Blogging 101 - 10 Tips when Blogging - Part 3
Blogging 101 – 10 Tips when Blogging – Part 3
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Following on from the previous articles where we looked at Being yourself, People are just People, Say what you mean and mean what you say, Keeping it tidy, Interpretation and Perception, Success or Failure and Everyone has their own Journey, here are some more tips around the content of your blogging.
1. Water, water everywhere, but not a Drop to Drink!
Nowadays we often hear the term “Information Overload”. That said I also often hear people saying that they “don’t have the information that they require” or that they “don’t know where to find” the information that they need.
There is an abundance of information freely available on the internet. Here’s the thing though, you have to learn how to look!
Much like the ‘good old days’ when we actually went to the library to do our research, we had to know where to look to find the information that we needed.
Walking into the library for the first time for me was really overwhelming. I must have been around 5 or so at the time. I remember standing in this huge building, surrounded by really tall shelves that were filled to capacity with what looked like millions and millions of books.
I stood rooted to the spot, bursting with the desire to read everything in sight but having no clue where to start.
The internet is pretty much the same - you have to learn to define and clarify your questions in order to access what it is that you need to see.
Follow like-minded people or people who are clearly experts in their fields. Connect with and follow your clients to find out what they want and need. Join groups and discussion and interact with them all. You will be amazed at the amount of valuable, interesting stuff that you will come across.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Most people are by nature helpful. Sure you get the odd idiot who would rather kick you to the curb than give you the time of day, but by en large, the average person will help.
Here’s the thing though, you have to ask for help. It’s unrealistic to expect people to automatically, intuitively know when you need assistance.
So if you find yourself feeling a little overwhelmed – ask for help. More often than not you’ll find that the answer is a lot simpler than your thought it would be.
The reality is that it is human nature to complicate things!
3. Don’t give up!
The final piece to this puzzle - don’t give up!
In order to get to your destination you have to take that first step. I understand that you may be feeling daunted and unsure, but just get started.
I was terrified when I wrote my first article and as soon as it was posted, I wondered what all the fuss was about! I celebrated the achievement and went on to write the next one and the next and I am still having fun and writing, more than 1600 articles on.
So stop thinking about doing and just get it done!
Till next time, happy blogging!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Following on from the previous articles where we looked at Being yourself, People are just People, Say what you mean and mean what you say, Keeping it tidy, Interpretation and Perception, Success or Failure and Everyone has their own Journey, here are some more tips around the content of your blogging.
1. Water, water everywhere, but not a Drop to Drink!
Nowadays we often hear the term “Information Overload”. That said I also often hear people saying that they “don’t have the information that they require” or that they “don’t know where to find” the information that they need.
There is an abundance of information freely available on the internet. Here’s the thing though, you have to learn how to look!
Much like the ‘good old days’ when we actually went to the library to do our research, we had to know where to look to find the information that we needed.
Walking into the library for the first time for me was really overwhelming. I must have been around 5 or so at the time. I remember standing in this huge building, surrounded by really tall shelves that were filled to capacity with what looked like millions and millions of books.
I stood rooted to the spot, bursting with the desire to read everything in sight but having no clue where to start.
The internet is pretty much the same - you have to learn to define and clarify your questions in order to access what it is that you need to see.
Follow like-minded people or people who are clearly experts in their fields. Connect with and follow your clients to find out what they want and need. Join groups and discussion and interact with them all. You will be amazed at the amount of valuable, interesting stuff that you will come across.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Most people are by nature helpful. Sure you get the odd idiot who would rather kick you to the curb than give you the time of day, but by en large, the average person will help.
Here’s the thing though, you have to ask for help. It’s unrealistic to expect people to automatically, intuitively know when you need assistance.
So if you find yourself feeling a little overwhelmed – ask for help. More often than not you’ll find that the answer is a lot simpler than your thought it would be.
The reality is that it is human nature to complicate things!
3. Don’t give up!
The final piece to this puzzle - don’t give up!
In order to get to your destination you have to take that first step. I understand that you may be feeling daunted and unsure, but just get started.
I was terrified when I wrote my first article and as soon as it was posted, I wondered what all the fuss was about! I celebrated the achievement and went on to write the next one and the next and I am still having fun and writing, more than 1600 articles on.
So stop thinking about doing and just get it done!
Till next time, happy blogging!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Networking 101 - Choose the right event for you
Networking 101 - Choose the right event for you
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
For the longest time, networking has been about handing out cards. Think about it for a moment, if you went to a Networking event, it was usually at one of the Chambers, you were usually encouraged to wander around with a cup of tea in one hand and a sticky bun/cake/sandwich in the other and off you went to engage with some poor unsuspecting person, who was usually caught on the back foot, or you were caught on the back foot. Networking, these days is just so much more! Don’t get me wrong, there are still some that prefer the ‘old’ traditional way of Networking, but as in most other aspects of our lives, Networking has also moved forward.
So what other options are there? Well, apart from the ‘Chamber’ type networking, there are several different types of meetings that you can go to – some are dinners, some are breakfasts, some are during the day. Some have themes with guest speakers or presentations, some have a combination of a whole lot of different things – you need to find what you are comfortable with. On a personal level, I prefer meetings that are semi facilitated. As an introvert, I find it difficult to just walk up to strangers and just start talking – I guess that is why I am not too fond of ‘cold calling’ either.
Then there are the social networks such as ‘Facebook’ and ‘MySpace’. These are essentially fun networks, where people who are passionate about Networking can and often do, do a lot of business.
Actually, if the truth be told, people who are passionate about Networking can actually network anywhere.
Where-ever you Network though, remember that building and maintaining networks is all about building relationships. So stay in touch, send out newsletters, or interesting titbits of information to do with your business that would make people want to know more, invite people to the new places that you discover and share with your database.
Share your knowledge, share your experiences, share what you have to offer, who you are and what it is that you do – you’ll be surprised at just how much fun you can have.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
For the longest time, networking has been about handing out cards. Think about it for a moment, if you went to a Networking event, it was usually at one of the Chambers, you were usually encouraged to wander around with a cup of tea in one hand and a sticky bun/cake/sandwich in the other and off you went to engage with some poor unsuspecting person, who was usually caught on the back foot, or you were caught on the back foot. Networking, these days is just so much more! Don’t get me wrong, there are still some that prefer the ‘old’ traditional way of Networking, but as in most other aspects of our lives, Networking has also moved forward.
So what other options are there? Well, apart from the ‘Chamber’ type networking, there are several different types of meetings that you can go to – some are dinners, some are breakfasts, some are during the day. Some have themes with guest speakers or presentations, some have a combination of a whole lot of different things – you need to find what you are comfortable with. On a personal level, I prefer meetings that are semi facilitated. As an introvert, I find it difficult to just walk up to strangers and just start talking – I guess that is why I am not too fond of ‘cold calling’ either.
Then there are the social networks such as ‘Facebook’ and ‘MySpace’. These are essentially fun networks, where people who are passionate about Networking can and often do, do a lot of business.
Actually, if the truth be told, people who are passionate about Networking can actually network anywhere.
Where-ever you Network though, remember that building and maintaining networks is all about building relationships. So stay in touch, send out newsletters, or interesting titbits of information to do with your business that would make people want to know more, invite people to the new places that you discover and share with your database.
Share your knowledge, share your experiences, share what you have to offer, who you are and what it is that you do – you’ll be surprised at just how much fun you can have.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Business Tips - Planning Ahead
Business Tips – Planning Ahead
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
John Demartini, on “Day 46 of the chapter entitled “The Law of Contingency” in his book “You can have an Amazing life in just 60 days” says “People who plan ahead, get ahead.”
Simple but profound!
I really do get a lot of “those” questions. You know the one where I get a text or an email that says something along the lines of “I just want to own a little something, you know, just a little something that will make me rich! What do I do?”
These questions really irritate and annoy me and on some level, on the right day, they make me laugh . . . a loud belly type laugh.
They have no clue about where they want to be, how then do they expect to get there?
I do understand that there are those amongst us, who have no idea what their passion is and whilst that is really sad, it can be remedied. That said though, even if you do know what your passion is and where you want to end up, you still need some sort of idea, dare I say plan, to get there. I mean you wouldn’t set out for some remote location that most of us have never heard of without some sort of plan or map, on how to get there would you?
You can’t imagine the number of people who have answered my ‘why’ with a resounding “well I want financial freedom” and yet when I ask them ‘how do you intend to get there?’ they cannot look me in the face, much less answer me.
Sadly most of those people will never get anywhere, much less be successful and are in all probability, destined to wander around for the rest of their lives with a slightly puzzled expression on their faces, simply because they have no clarity in their lives.
In my opinion, if “cash is King”, then surely “clarity must be Queen”, and if you are not clear on what it is that you want to achieve in life, then you won’t be able to plan on how to get there and if you don’t know how to get there, you will never arrive at your desired destination.
So take the time to be sure about what it is that you want to do with your life and once you’re clear about that, then make sure that you have a plan or a map on how to get there!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
John Demartini, on “Day 46 of the chapter entitled “The Law of Contingency” in his book “You can have an Amazing life in just 60 days” says “People who plan ahead, get ahead.”
Simple but profound!
I really do get a lot of “those” questions. You know the one where I get a text or an email that says something along the lines of “I just want to own a little something, you know, just a little something that will make me rich! What do I do?”
These questions really irritate and annoy me and on some level, on the right day, they make me laugh . . . a loud belly type laugh.
They have no clue about where they want to be, how then do they expect to get there?
I do understand that there are those amongst us, who have no idea what their passion is and whilst that is really sad, it can be remedied. That said though, even if you do know what your passion is and where you want to end up, you still need some sort of idea, dare I say plan, to get there. I mean you wouldn’t set out for some remote location that most of us have never heard of without some sort of plan or map, on how to get there would you?
You can’t imagine the number of people who have answered my ‘why’ with a resounding “well I want financial freedom” and yet when I ask them ‘how do you intend to get there?’ they cannot look me in the face, much less answer me.
Sadly most of those people will never get anywhere, much less be successful and are in all probability, destined to wander around for the rest of their lives with a slightly puzzled expression on their faces, simply because they have no clarity in their lives.
In my opinion, if “cash is King”, then surely “clarity must be Queen”, and if you are not clear on what it is that you want to achieve in life, then you won’t be able to plan on how to get there and if you don’t know how to get there, you will never arrive at your desired destination.
So take the time to be sure about what it is that you want to do with your life and once you’re clear about that, then make sure that you have a plan or a map on how to get there!
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Monday, February 25, 2019
Inspiration – Look Fear in the Face
Inspiration – Look Fear in the Face
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Eleanor Roosevelt, former First Lady of the USA said “You gain strength, courage and confidence, by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
All of us have felt fear at some point or another during the course of our lives! I’m also pretty sure that all of us have also found it to be exhilarating on occasion as well as devastating on others.
It all depends on the circumstances as well as the day.
That said, I am sure that Eleanor Roosevelt was not specifically referring to the fear that comes with an extremely dangerous situation, like being chased by an enraged charging rhino or having a gun to your head. To keep your head in those two situations would certainly go a long way to you keeping your life.
In my opinion Eleanor is referring to everyday type of insecurities and fear that keeps us from being able to do the things that we want to do or need to do. The fear that paralyzes and causes the dreaded procrastination that we all suffer through from time to time.
Ironically, we seem to hold onto that fear and procrastinate for as long as possible and then suddenly make the decision to get on with the task and what usually happens then, well it does for me anyway, is that I break it down into bite-sized chunks and before I know it, I have completed the task and am left with a sense of “that was relatively easy, what on earth was I so scared of?”
Facing these types of fear, does of course mean that you need to break it down into bite sized chunks and then allocate the necessary time and relevant resources to it.
Facing these types of fear sooner rather than later, means that you will get the job done with a minimum amount of fuss, bother and of course stress.
Facing these types of fear squarely and with determination means that you will be able to get on with doing the things that you love, sooner rather than later.
To borrow the byline of a famous brand “Just Do It!”
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Eleanor Roosevelt, former First Lady of the USA said “You gain strength, courage and confidence, by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
All of us have felt fear at some point or another during the course of our lives! I’m also pretty sure that all of us have also found it to be exhilarating on occasion as well as devastating on others.
It all depends on the circumstances as well as the day.
That said, I am sure that Eleanor Roosevelt was not specifically referring to the fear that comes with an extremely dangerous situation, like being chased by an enraged charging rhino or having a gun to your head. To keep your head in those two situations would certainly go a long way to you keeping your life.
In my opinion Eleanor is referring to everyday type of insecurities and fear that keeps us from being able to do the things that we want to do or need to do. The fear that paralyzes and causes the dreaded procrastination that we all suffer through from time to time.
Ironically, we seem to hold onto that fear and procrastinate for as long as possible and then suddenly make the decision to get on with the task and what usually happens then, well it does for me anyway, is that I break it down into bite-sized chunks and before I know it, I have completed the task and am left with a sense of “that was relatively easy, what on earth was I so scared of?”
Facing these types of fear, does of course mean that you need to break it down into bite sized chunks and then allocate the necessary time and relevant resources to it.
Facing these types of fear sooner rather than later, means that you will get the job done with a minimum amount of fuss, bother and of course stress.
Facing these types of fear squarely and with determination means that you will be able to get on with doing the things that you love, sooner rather than later.
To borrow the byline of a famous brand “Just Do It!”
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Inspiration – Look Fear in the Face
Inspiration – Look Fear in the Face
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Eleanor Roosevelt, former First Lady of the USA said “You gain strength, courage and confidence, by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
All of us have felt fear at some point or another during the course of our lives! I’m also pretty sure that all of us have also found it to be exhilarating on occasion as well as devastating on others.
It all depends on the circumstances as well as the day.
That said, I am sure that Eleanor Roosevelt was not specifically referring to the fear that comes with an extremely dangerous situation, like being chased by an enraged charging rhino or having a gun to your head. To keep your head in those two situations would certainly go a long way to you keeping your life.
In my opinion Eleanor is referring to everyday type of insecurities and fear that keeps us from being able to do the things that we want to do or need to do. The fear that paralyzes and causes the dreaded procrastination that we all suffer through from time to time.
Ironically, we seem to hold onto that fear and procrastinate for as long as possible and then suddenly make the decision to get on with the task and what usually happens then, well it does for me anyway, is that I break it down into bite-sized chunks and before I know it, I have completed the task and am left with a sense of “that was relatively easy, what on earth was I so scared of?”
Facing these types of fear, does of course mean that you need to break it down into bite sized chunks and then allocate the necessary time and relevant resources to it.
Facing these types of fear sooner rather than later, means that you will get the job done with a minimum amount of fuss, bother and of course stress.
Facing these types of fear squarely and with determination means that you will be able to get on with doing the things that you love, sooner rather than later.
To borrow the byline of a famous brand “Just Do It!”
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd
Eleanor Roosevelt, former First Lady of the USA said “You gain strength, courage and confidence, by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
All of us have felt fear at some point or another during the course of our lives! I’m also pretty sure that all of us have also found it to be exhilarating on occasion as well as devastating on others.
It all depends on the circumstances as well as the day.
That said, I am sure that Eleanor Roosevelt was not specifically referring to the fear that comes with an extremely dangerous situation, like being chased by an enraged charging rhino or having a gun to your head. To keep your head in those two situations would certainly go a long way to you keeping your life.
In my opinion Eleanor is referring to everyday type of insecurities and fear that keeps us from being able to do the things that we want to do or need to do. The fear that paralyzes and causes the dreaded procrastination that we all suffer through from time to time.
Ironically, we seem to hold onto that fear and procrastinate for as long as possible and then suddenly make the decision to get on with the task and what usually happens then, well it does for me anyway, is that I break it down into bite-sized chunks and before I know it, I have completed the task and am left with a sense of “that was relatively easy, what on earth was I so scared of?”
Facing these types of fear, does of course mean that you need to break it down into bite sized chunks and then allocate the necessary time and relevant resources to it.
Facing these types of fear sooner rather than later, means that you will get the job done with a minimum amount of fuss, bother and of course stress.
Facing these types of fear squarely and with determination means that you will be able to get on with doing the things that you love, sooner rather than later.
To borrow the byline of a famous brand “Just Do It!”
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
Friday, February 22, 2019
HR 101 - Desertion and the AWOL Employee – Part 1
HR 101 - Desertion and the AWOL Employee – Part 1
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd - December 2009
Please note that this pertains to South African Labour and Best Practice requirements.
It would appear that there is much confusion around this topic and also what the difference between the two is.
Let’s take it one step at a time.
AWOL (Absent Without Leave) is exactly that. It usually pertains to the employee who does not come to work and then does not phone in to advise why they are not at work. They could be away for one day or they could be away for several days, but they usually come back to work with some or other long story as to why they were not at work and why they could not phone in. Your leave policy should have a procedure to deal with this and the consequences for the ‘missing’ employee.
Desertion is when an employee just walks off the job or does not come into work at all and who has in all probability gotten themselves another form of employment and therefore has no intention of coming back, but just ‘forgot’ to tell anyone.
Both of these carry consequences and these consequences can lead to their dismissal.
So let’s bring in my favourite protagonists. Mike owns a retail store in a busy mall and George is the store manager. Sarah is a sales consultant in Mike’s retail store and she reports to George. Jane is the head of the HR department.
One Monday morning during the December rush, at about 09h30, Mike received a call from Sarah advising that George had not arrived for work and that all the staff were standing outside the door, together with clients, as they were unable to enter the premises. Sarah further stated that she had tried to contact George and that his cell phone went directly to voice mail.
Understandably annoyed, Mike instructed Sarah to wait at the store with the rest of the staff as he was on his way. Mike contacted Jane and instructed her to try and get hold of George and briefly explained the situation. Mike requested and received the spare keys to the store and made his way to the store.
Mike got the store started and then appointed Sarah as acting Manager until such time as they could ascertain what had happened to George.
Jane in the meantime had also tried to contact George on his cell phone but the phone went directly to voice mail. Jane then tried to contact George on his home number, this also went to voice mail. Jane then tried to contact George’s wife and that phone also went directly to voice mail. Messages were now left on all three phones.
Nothing was heard from either George or his wife during the course of the day and Sarah managed the store and closed up in compliance with laid down procedures, in George’s absence.
That evening, Mike again attempted to contact George and his wife, to no avail. Mike left messages on all the phones again.
The following day, Mike instructed Jane to try and contact Mike and his wife again. Again Jane could not get through and again messages were left on all of the phones. Jane noted all of this in George’s personnel file. Nothing was heard from George or his wife during the course of the second day that he was absent from work.
On the third day, Jane again tried to contact George and his wife, again without any success. Again nothing was heard from George or his wife.
By the fifth day, having still not heard from either George or his wife, Mike made the decision to follow the correct procedures in sending a registered letter and a telegram to George’s home address instructing him to return to work. Again no response was forthcoming and a disciplinary was held in abstentia and George was found guilty of desertion and dismissed.
In this particular instance George never returned to work and Mike never found out why he left. It was rumoured from time to time, by the staff that George had been seen working somewhere else, so it was clear to Mike that George felt that he could not face Mike and hand in his resignation and he had just decided to leave. The matter was closed.
Next time we will look at some additional examples of desertion and AWOL.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd - December 2009
Please note that this pertains to South African Labour and Best Practice requirements.
It would appear that there is much confusion around this topic and also what the difference between the two is.
Let’s take it one step at a time.
AWOL (Absent Without Leave) is exactly that. It usually pertains to the employee who does not come to work and then does not phone in to advise why they are not at work. They could be away for one day or they could be away for several days, but they usually come back to work with some or other long story as to why they were not at work and why they could not phone in. Your leave policy should have a procedure to deal with this and the consequences for the ‘missing’ employee.
Desertion is when an employee just walks off the job or does not come into work at all and who has in all probability gotten themselves another form of employment and therefore has no intention of coming back, but just ‘forgot’ to tell anyone.
Both of these carry consequences and these consequences can lead to their dismissal.
So let’s bring in my favourite protagonists. Mike owns a retail store in a busy mall and George is the store manager. Sarah is a sales consultant in Mike’s retail store and she reports to George. Jane is the head of the HR department.
One Monday morning during the December rush, at about 09h30, Mike received a call from Sarah advising that George had not arrived for work and that all the staff were standing outside the door, together with clients, as they were unable to enter the premises. Sarah further stated that she had tried to contact George and that his cell phone went directly to voice mail.
Understandably annoyed, Mike instructed Sarah to wait at the store with the rest of the staff as he was on his way. Mike contacted Jane and instructed her to try and get hold of George and briefly explained the situation. Mike requested and received the spare keys to the store and made his way to the store.
Mike got the store started and then appointed Sarah as acting Manager until such time as they could ascertain what had happened to George.
Jane in the meantime had also tried to contact George on his cell phone but the phone went directly to voice mail. Jane then tried to contact George on his home number, this also went to voice mail. Jane then tried to contact George’s wife and that phone also went directly to voice mail. Messages were now left on all three phones.
Nothing was heard from either George or his wife during the course of the day and Sarah managed the store and closed up in compliance with laid down procedures, in George’s absence.
That evening, Mike again attempted to contact George and his wife, to no avail. Mike left messages on all the phones again.
The following day, Mike instructed Jane to try and contact Mike and his wife again. Again Jane could not get through and again messages were left on all of the phones. Jane noted all of this in George’s personnel file. Nothing was heard from George or his wife during the course of the second day that he was absent from work.
On the third day, Jane again tried to contact George and his wife, again without any success. Again nothing was heard from George or his wife.
By the fifth day, having still not heard from either George or his wife, Mike made the decision to follow the correct procedures in sending a registered letter and a telegram to George’s home address instructing him to return to work. Again no response was forthcoming and a disciplinary was held in abstentia and George was found guilty of desertion and dismissed.
In this particular instance George never returned to work and Mike never found out why he left. It was rumoured from time to time, by the staff that George had been seen working somewhere else, so it was clear to Mike that George felt that he could not face Mike and hand in his resignation and he had just decided to leave. The matter was closed.
Next time we will look at some additional examples of desertion and AWOL.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
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