Archive by Author
Job descriptions: more useful than you think!
At PeopleWise we create a lot of job descriptions for our clients. Many clients are shocked by how employees’ time is being mis-allocated. One particular client was horrified that his salespeople were spending 40% of their time on admin; time that should have been spent meeting potential and existing clients.
Good job descriptions lay out exactly [...]
Keep yourself out of the CCMA
Many cases that are taken to the CCMA are as a consequence of employers not following the correct procedures when dismissing an employee. Generally employees are dismissed for either misconduct or for poor work performance. Misconduct occurs when your employee breaks your rules and/or breaches the terms of the employment contract and/or causes excessive harm [...]
What small businesses need to know about BEE
I was chatting to a friend a few days ago who mentioned that one of the factors stopping her from taking the plunge and going into business for herself was BEE. It struck me once again that so many people don’t realise that BEE really doesn’t affect small businesses until you get to a reasonable [...]
Increase in Employee’s Earning Threshold
Hot off the press: As of the 1st March 2008, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act will be amended to increase the annual earnings threshold from R115 572, to R149 736. Employees who earn over this amount are exempt from overtime pay, pay for working on public holidays, maximum ordinary hours of work, compressed working [...]
HR and Employment #5: An unwelcome (and little known fact) for many employers…
Two things most South Africans have very little of in January is cash and leave… a sad fact in life.
This leads me to my post today on annual leave payment calculations. Did you know that if you have any employee whose salary/ wage is calculated in any way other than time (i.e. commission or partly [...]
Small Business HR and Employment #4: ‘Blue Sky Thinking’
One of my favourite things is strolling along the Hermanus cliffs during the summer holidays and doing some Blue Sky Thinking. Some of my best ideas have been conceived on those paths – including my business, PeopleWise. I thought it might be useful to give you some ideas to include in your Blue Sky Thinking [...]
Small Business HR and Employment #3: ‘Is it necessary to have an Employment Equity plan?’
People Wise has had a lot of phone calls recently from companies scrambling to get their Employment Equity Reports in by the 1st October. The penalties for not submitting the report or having an Employment Equity Plan in place are pretty ferocious – R500 000 for a first offence ranging up to R900 000 for [...]
Small Business HR and Employment #2: ‘Can I fire her?’
My bookkeeper is just not performing the way I’d like her to; can I fire her?
My IT Manager keeps arriving late and leaving early and I’m sure some of his ‘appointments’ out of the work are phony – can I get rid of him?
The answer to these questions, as 86% of employers who [...]
A new feature on Ideate: Small Business HR and Employment
We are pleased to announce that we have a guest writer on Ideate. Claire Stewart, HR consultant and owner of the national HR agency PeopleWise, will be contributing a monthly segment called Small Business People and Employment. Claire lives in Durban and has been consulting to South African businesses for over a decade. Her skills [...]
