GEORGE BUSINESS NEWS - It is not business as usual during the current period of lockdown. Many employers and employees took to social media for answers on the matter of leave and payments.
On George Herald's Facebook page comments include employers saying they have been forced to take unpaid leave, some business owners asking for advice, some people worrying because their employers can't pay them and many wanting to know what the procedure is to apply for pay-outs from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).
In a letter to George Herald a reader said it came to her attention that various companies in the area are trying to intimidate their employees into going to work, although they don't provide an essential service.
"These 21 days will definitely take a financial knock on a lot of companies, however there are government funds in place to assist these companies. If businesses don't work together and close down during this period and send non-essential employees home, then this lock-down period will NOT be effective in helping to prevent the spread of this deadly Virus," reads the letter.
Annual leave
Chief director of Labour Relations Thembinkosi Mkalipi said employers are within their rights to insist that employees take annual leave during the lockdown, but encourages employers to rather utilise the financial assistance available through the Covid-19 Temporary Employer / Employee Relief Scheme (Ters) in cases where companies cannot afford to pay employees.
The department's hotline number for enquiries is 012 337 1997 from 08:00 to 17:00, Mondays to Fridays.
According to the National Employers Association of South Africa (Neasa), employers who have an annual shutdown in December may even, if practical, exchange this lockdown closure for the December shutdown and require employees to work during December.
For assistance from Neasa, call their hotline, 086 016 3272 or send an e-mail to legalhotline@neasa.co.za.
UIF
The Department of Employment and Labour issued the following guidelines on the subject of leave:
Through the Act on Basic Conditions of Employment, employees have the right to sick leave and annual leave. Those who fall ill as a result of work, will be covered by the Compensation Act. In such cases UIF benefits for illness, reduced work time and unemployment will kick in. In addition, the UIF will compensate affected workers through a new "National Disaster Benefit".
However, employers and workers are advised to download and submit UIF forms electronically. The department closed all labour centres on last week Friday, 27 March, for the duration of the lockdown.
The DA has called upon the Department of Employment and Labour to re-open the main labour centres in all nine provinces, to deal with the flood of Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) claims that will be submitted as a result of the 21-day lockdown period.
"Many UIF claimants do not have computers to access the department's services online," said MP Michael Cardo, DA Shadow Minister of Employment and Labour. "They need to be able to access hard copies of the relevant forms and submit them manually. It should be possible for the department to continue offering a pared-down front-line service while enforcing strict physical distancing and hygiene measures at labour centres."
Impact
Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities David Maynier said in a press release today, 1 April, that they have been in regular contact with stakeholders at national government and the police service in the Western Cape to get clarity on the regulations for lockdown and how they impact on businesses and workers in the Western Cape.
Read Maynier’s full statement here
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Group Editors (publications and online platforms) is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
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