I received an e-mail from a concerned reader who works as a shift worker and is paid his salary on a monthly basis.

From time to time, his employer requires that he works on a Sunday. On these occasions, he is paid only for his normal day’s work and receives no additional remuneration.

As far as he knows, a Sunday is viewed as a rest day and after reading through the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) he noticed that if an employee is expected to work on a Sunday, his employer should pay him one and a half times his hourly wage. Read more…

I received an e-mail from a reader who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a recent armed robbery at his place of work.

After the incident, in which one of his colleagues got shot, he continued to work as usual. However, in the weeks after the event, he continually experienced nightmares and a general feeling of fear.

Our reader decided to visit his doctor, who diagnosed him with PTSD. He was placed on medication and booked off for two months, during which time he underwent psychotherapy. Read more…

This week’s reader is a fitter and turner for a major company and he signed a restraint of trade as part of his contract of employment.

He recently received a better offer from a rival company and would like to know if he could be held to the restraint that he had signed, which prohibits him from working for a similar company in South Africa for twenty-four months after leaving his current employer – for whatever reason. Read more…

After a successful job interview, our reader was offered a position with a company and he subsequently signed a contract of employment.

He gave notice at his current job after accepting the offer. However, before starting in the new position, he was informed that his services were no longer required.

The reader would like to know whether this is fair and what his rights are. Read more…