– by Nkosingiphile Ntshangase
Our Labour Law webinars were presented to the public in April and May amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic with the aim to inform attendees of the necessary labour legislation and procedures that have been developed in response to the pandemic. The webinar series topics included ‘Labour Law for Businesses/Employers’ as well as ‘Labour Law for Individuals’, and covered the basic principles that dictate the employers’ obligations to employees with regards to labour law during and beyond the lockdown period. Our guest speaker, Dr. Tamara Cohen, went into great detail on employee/employer relief schemes such as UIF-TERS as well as the procedures and regulations governing it that have been put in place. An awareness of the ethics behind the relief measures such as short time, temporary lay-off, utilisation of leave provisions and retrenchment alternatives as a result of the fallout from COVID-19 was also highlighted.
Labour laws give structure to organisations and when implemented effectively can protect both the employer and employee to create a conducive, fair and healthy environment. Through the webinars our attendees, were able to gain a better understanding of the different relief options for employers that still protected the rights of employees. Health and safety are also crucial components during this time and employers now also have various health and safety measures that need to be taken to ensure the safety of its employees. This is guided by the Occupational Health and Safety Act which has been amended as a result of COVID-19 and must be carried out conscientiously.
We at UKZN Extended Learning are in full support and compliance with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s directive of a national lockdown, issued to address the COVID-19 pandemic. We are embracing the changes and are working on a number of projects aimed at providing free access to learning materials during this lockdown period. One of these projects is our series of online learning webinars which are offered to the public on a complimentary basis every Tuesday and Thursday, this is to provide a way for attendees to continue up-skilling during this national lockdown.
Please take a look at our exciting line-up of upcoming webinars and please RSVP to secure your place!
For more on Labour Law and COVID-19, please take a look at the recent Labour Law webinars:
COVID-19: Labour Law for Businesses/Employers part 1
COVID-19: Labour Law for Businesses/Employers part 2
COVID-19: Labour Law for Individuals
Retrenchments and Short Time: Dealing with the Fallout from COVID-19