In order to curb the spread of the coronavirus, President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his recent address to South Africa, implemented certain preventative measures and provided guidelines to citizens to prevent the virus from being further dispersed. Chief among these measures is that of social-distancing and of allowing employees to work from home.
However, working from home is not practical in many employment industries due to obvious operational requirements. In such instances, employers are to put in place suitable health and safety measures to ensure that the potential spread of COVID-19 is minimised, such as by placing hand sanitisers at strategic locations in the working area. In addition, employers are to have health and safety protocols in place of precautionary measures for employees to follow.
A copy of a suggested protocol can be downloaded here, and placed in the workplace for employees to adhere to in order to maximise safety in the working environment.
Employment will continue to be regulated in terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, and as such, the ordinary provisions regulating leave will remain in force until such time as there is an announcement to the contrary.
Should you wish to understand more on the topic of the coronavirus, please visit the WHO
If you have any questions about the effect of the coronavirus on the workplace or any other Labour or Land issues, contact McCarthy & Associates Attorneys on (033) 266 6170 or ad***@ma****.za