Phew its nearly August - That time of the year when you feel all fatigued up and don't feel like going to work.
But then in this epoch governed by high unemployment figures you quickly remind yourself that skipping work is not ayoba. "Strue, ijob yijob" Did you know your absenteeism costs the South African economy R16 billion, annually.
According to the South African Payroll Association (Sapa), who quoted a “recent study by Occupational Care South Africa and Statistics South Africa”, they “found that an average of 15% of employees are absent on any given day‚ and that only one in three of those absent are actually sick”.
“The pressure on the organisation isn’t letting up and employees need to remember that they have a job because their employer needs them to fulfil a function‚” said Sapa Director Cathie Webb.
“If you aren’t there‚ someone else has to stand in for you so it is important to take your employer into consideration when using your leave‚ especially sick leave. Some people see their sick leave allowance as a target‚ rather than something to be taken when absolutely essential.”
Sapa noted that using a sick leave allowance would mean the employee “will have to use their annual leave should they suddenly need extended leave to recover from an operation‚ for example” or take unpaid leave.
“Many companies are reducing leave allowances due to the current poor economic climate”‚ the study found.
While the Basic Conditions of Employment Act allows for “15 working days per year for annual leave‚ 30 working days over a three-year period for sick leave and three days per year for family responsibility leave‚ if they work a 5-day week”.
So a word of advice to workers: the “onus…falls on you to understand exactly what your rights are when it comes to leave.”
“Know what you are entitled to‚ how it is structured and the rules which dictate it.”
But then in this epoch governed by high unemployment figures you quickly remind yourself that skipping work is not ayoba. "Strue, ijob yijob" Did you know your absenteeism costs the South African economy R16 billion, annually.
According to the South African Payroll Association (Sapa), who quoted a “recent study by Occupational Care South Africa and Statistics South Africa”, they “found that an average of 15% of employees are absent on any given day‚ and that only one in three of those absent are actually sick”.
“The pressure on the organisation isn’t letting up and employees need to remember that they have a job because their employer needs them to fulfil a function‚” said Sapa Director Cathie Webb.
“If you aren’t there‚ someone else has to stand in for you so it is important to take your employer into consideration when using your leave‚ especially sick leave. Some people see their sick leave allowance as a target‚ rather than something to be taken when absolutely essential.”
Sapa noted that using a sick leave allowance would mean the employee “will have to use their annual leave should they suddenly need extended leave to recover from an operation‚ for example” or take unpaid leave.
“Many companies are reducing leave allowances due to the current poor economic climate”‚ the study found.
While the Basic Conditions of Employment Act allows for “15 working days per year for annual leave‚ 30 working days over a three-year period for sick leave and three days per year for family responsibility leave‚ if they work a 5-day week”.
So a word of advice to workers: the “onus…falls on you to understand exactly what your rights are when it comes to leave.”
“Know what you are entitled to‚ how it is structured and the rules which dictate it.”
