did you clear it with your boss first?
- Published on 7 Apr 2017
- HR Pulse News Desk
Did your employees clear it with you first? Are they taking part in today's march?
That's the directive from some companies and organisations who have warned employees who plan to protest against the cabinet reshuffle that Friday is a normal working day. Michael Maeso of Shepstone & Wylie said employees should not automatically assume that they have the right to leave work to participate in the proposed action on Friday.
"Any absence from work that is not authorized by the employer constitutes misconduct and entitles the employer to take disciplinary action against the employee. The type of sanction that can result varies but can include dismissal if the employer is able to show significant inconvenience caused as a result of the employee’s absence and/or if the absence was in defiance of an express instruction to attend work." The Labour Relations Act‚ he said‚ gave every employee who is not engaged in an essential service‚ the right to take part in protest action for the purpose of promoting or defending the socio economic interests of workers. But such action must first have been considered by Nedlac and 14 days’ notice given.
