Selecting for Excellence 10 Dec 20180 A systematic approach to recruitment reduces risk The LRA became law on 11 November 1996... Read More
Employment Equity Compliance – Now is the time to act! 10 Dec 20180 In the last 2 years we have seen a significant increase in the Department of... Read More
Is the Employment Equity Act still relevant today? 18 Jun 20180 The purpose of the Employment Equity Act (EEA) of 1998 is essentially to eliminate unfair... Read More
CUSTOMER SERVICE 13 Apr 20180 An employee relations barometer! Some people are born to shop! I am not one of... Read More
INSUBORDINATION vs INSOLENCE 09 Mar 20180 Act in haste, repent at leisure! One of our clients, a trucking company, had won... Read More
INTOXICATION: Zero tolerance? 18 Jan 20180 Way back in 1969, when I started work with a well-known international soap manufacturer, I... Read More
MISHANDLING OF PERSONAL FINANCES 08 Dec 20170 A major problem, or an opportunity for employers? It’s that time of the year again... Read More
CHANGE NEEDS LEADERSHIP 02 Nov 20170 Coming from a psychological background, one of the fundamentals that I worked with was change.... Read More
MOTIVATION IS LIKE HAPPINESS 09 Oct 20170 There is no simple magic formula A long time ago while employed by well-known soap... Read More
LEADERSHIP IN PRACTICE 07 Sep 20170 Empowerment is more often used as a buzz word instead of an action. Empowerment should... Read More
EMPLOYMENT EQUITY: ARE YOU IN BREACH OF THE ACT? 15 Aug 20170 Non-compliance to Employment Equity is risky and could be costly, as highlighted by the attached... Read More
What Employers need to know… B-BBEE and the impact on HR initiatives 03 Aug 20170 What is B-BBEE and how is it different to Employment Equity? The Broad-Based Black Economic... Read More
SHOP STEWARDS AS LEADERS 29 Jun 20170 Time for a rethink? One our consultants had an interesting experience at a printing and... Read More
UNITY IN DIVERSITY 05 Jun 20170 Changing attitudes requires courage and leadership Most disputes going before the CCMA still are unfair... Read More
WORK ETHIC 08 May 20170 “Men are respectable only as they respect” Ralph Waldo Emerson It is clear from recent... Read More
PASSION & COMMITMENT 29 Mar 20170 When a job means more than just a meal ticket! I was listening to the... Read More
Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill 22 Mar 20170 The Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill (‘the Bill’) was approved... Read More
THE ROLE OF HR IN DISCIPLINE: Best Practice in 2017 23 Feb 20170 I wrote of a case in 2013 where an employee was paid compensation for procedural... Read More
LEADERSHIP: A journey to becoming emotionally intelligent 24 Jan 20170 I heard a most disturbing comment from a top executive about the CEO of the... Read More
ANNUAL LEAVE ENTITLEMENTS 07 Nov 20160 Employees are entitled to 21 consecutive days paid leave (three weeks – 15 working days... Read More
Quote of the day 31 Oct 20160 “Responsibility only exists when there is accountability. When we don’t hold people accountable why should... Read More
LIFESTYLE AUDITS CURB ERRANT BEHAVIOUR 28 Sep 20160 By Terrance M. Booysen and reviewed by Megan Grindell (Director: Carter DGF Risk Management) In... Read More
ABUSE OF SICK LEAVE 07 Sep 20160 Address the problem pro-actively We regularly receive calls from clients asking what to do in... Read More
LEADERSHIP: Maintaining the momentum of change 10 Aug 20160 The shortfall of any training is creating the momentum of excitement for change to continue. Reverting... Read More
THE TRUE PURPOSE OF LEADERSHIP 23 Jun 20160 One of the cornerstones of leadership is the responsibility to unleash peoples’ potential – taking... Read More
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS 02 Jun 20160 Use them wisely Virtually all authorities on leadership recommend ‘management by walk-about’ and an ‘open... Read More
WHY LOW WAGES ARE BETTER THAN NO WAGES 01 Jun 20160 Representatives of organised labour and their political allies often accuse advocates of a more flexible... Read More
WAGE NEGOTIATIONS – It’s that time again. Are you prepared? 05 May 20160 Once upon a time there was a bear who was hungry and a man who... Read More
Do your homework before you employ new people! 30 Mar 20160 The attached 2015 Annual Report on employee screening makes interesting, if not disturbing reading: 11,8% of... Read More
WHY DISCIPLINARY RULES ARE IMPORTANT! 16 Mar 20160 What is Discipline? The process of maintaining compliance with the rules of the Company. There... Read More
EMPLOYMENT EQUITY & DIVERSITY 09 Feb 20160 Instead of squabbling let’s exploit our differences! “Affirmative action an insult to black talent” so... Read More
RACISM: DO NOT WHITEWASH THE REALITY 22 Jan 20160 This article is worth reading. Intolerance based on misunderstanding each other is the biggest challenge... Read More
An employer’s recourse against an employee’s social media blunders 05 Jan 20160 The attached article on employers’ responses to employee social media blunders is well timed. Two... Read More
SERVING THE ORGANISATION: A DIRECTOR’S PLEDGE 09 Nov 20150 04 November 2015 Article by Terrance M. Booysen One wonders how many people have misunderstood... Read More
INTERESTING BUT UNSETTLING FACTS 04 Nov 20150 INTERESTING BUT UNSETTLING FACTS from the recently published 2014 INDUSTRIAL ACTION REPORT as published by the Department of... Read More
B-BBEE: ALL ORGANISATIONS ARE AFFECTED BY BLACK ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND THE CODES 27 Oct 20150 A few critical success factors when developing your transformation strategy are: Make your transformation strategy... Read More
DRESS CODE POLICY 21 Oct 20150 What is the purpose of a Dress Code Policy? To ensure that employees are APPROPRIATELY... Read More
LEARNING / TRAINING / PERFORMANCE BARRIERS 15 Oct 20150 Training can only be effective if these are addressed A few years ago we were... Read More
B-BBEE: COULD THE NEW CODES BE A ‘STALEMATE’? 08 Oct 20150 Johannesburg 30 September 2015 Article by Terrance M. Booysen and reviewed by Dr. Robin Woolley... Read More
PETER IS ON MATERNITY LEAVE… 15 Sep 20150 For a long period of time since the dawn of democracy in South Africa, the... Read More
WORKING SHORT TIME 15 Sep 20150 As an alternative to retrenchment In terms of Section 189 of the Labour Relations Act... Read More
THE VALUE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST GUIDELINES 07 Sep 20150 What is the purpose of conflict of interest guidelines? To avoid conflict between the interests... Read More
WHY COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IS FAILING IN SOUTH AFRICA 04 Aug 20150 In response to NEASA’s article. NEASA’s article correctly highlights the damaging effects of centralised collective bargaining... Read More
FALSE SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS 25 Jun 20150 What to do when you suspect a sexual harassment complaint is not genuine. Since the... Read More
Why has the business penny not dropped in SA? 25 May 20150 There is no doubt that there needs to be transformation in South Africa but after... Read More
Loadshedding Implications 18 May 20150 While some in Government would like us to believe that Eskom’s inability to supply a... Read More
The Power of a Person’s Name 21 Apr 20150 I sometimes think that leadership principles are idealistic in relation to practice. The focus of... Read More
March Bulletin 30 Mar 20150 Before dismissing an employee (whatever the reason) the employer must properly investigate the case... Read More
The Venomous or Toxic Employee 06 Mar 20150 Creating the antidote for the poison Leadership is about people. The challenge with this is... Read More
Skills Development 25 Feb 20150 Workplace Skills Plan and Annual Training Reports From the inception of the National Skills Development... Read More
Leadership from the heart 11 Feb 20150 Putting others first has become a scarcity in today’s self-serving society. Money and power easily... Read More
STRONG LEADERS…To break the mould of past practices! 04 Feb 20150 In South Africa, poor education and training perpetuates a climate where assumptions remain that lower... Read More
The Labour Relations Amendment Act: Bottom Line Impact for Employers 02 Feb 20150 The Labour Relations Amendment Act: Bottom Line Impact for Employers The Labour Relations Amendment Act... Read More
From Leadership With Love 11 Dec 20140 A few years ago I was on a family vacation. At the resort was an... Read More
The Generous Leader – Accountable and Responsible 11 Dec 20140 True fulfillment is a feeling that does not come from material wealth. Wealth can bring... Read More
Are We Going To Have A Busy Strike Season In 2015? 02 Dec 20140 Our news in 2014 was dominated by the AMCU strike on the Platinum mines, followed... Read More
Pitfalls of Limited Duration Contracts for Temporary Employment 03 Oct 20140 The Facts Many companies are not willing to appoint employees on a permanent basis due... Read More
SA Losing R12 Billion A Year Due To Absenteeism 30 Sep 20140 Absenteeism It is common knowledge that absenteeism costs South Africa billions of rands every year... Read More
Labour Court Declares Neasa Lock-Out Legal 09 Sep 20140 Lock-out The Labour Court in Johannesburg has rejected with costs an application by the National... Read More
Employment Equity Act 01 Sep 20140 Bruniquel Bulletin #6 Isn’t it time to reassess the impact of this legislation? Twenty years... Read More
Get Back To Basics 25 Aug 20140 Employee Commitment “Employee commitment is currently an important factor in the effective operation of most... Read More
Unemployment because of SA labour laws – Neasa 20 Aug 20140 Unemployment South Africa (Neasa) disagrees with recent comments by Minister of Labour Mildred Oliphant, suggesting... Read More
Fake Sick Certificates 14 Aug 20140 Fake Sick Certificates An HR Officer was off work for 3 days claiming family responsibility... Read More
Union leader speaks on labour alignment at Royal Bafokeng Platinum 11 Aug 20140 Labour alignment JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The alignment of labour with company objectives at the black-owned... Read More
Labour Relations Training 11 Aug 20140 Labour Relations Training Labour relations training is not like other training in South Africa and... Read More
Leadership Training 08 Aug 20140 Leadership Training Leadership needs to be an inside-out process that focuses less on competencies and... Read More
Let’s take up Madiba’s baton! 31 Jul 20140 Bruniquel Bulletin #5-2014 Support the SABPP initiative to practise HR according to recognised and consistent... Read More
Metal Industry Lock-Out: Neasa Press Release 31 Jul 20140 Metal Industry Lock-Out: Neasa Press Release The National Employers’ Association of South Africa (NEASA) is... Read More
The Face of the Strike 28 Jul 20140 The Face of the Strike Dear NEASA member, NEASA constantly receives reports from our members of violent... Read More
Poor Performance Is Often Linked To Ill Health 22 Jul 20140 Performance A number of years ago – long before we became aware of the HIV/AIDS... Read More
Selecting A Training Provider 21 Jul 20140 Selecting A Training Provider Since the introduction of the Seta system the number of training... Read More
Absenteeism At The Workplace 17 Jul 20140 Absenteeism At The Workplace Absenteeism is a major problem in South Africa, particularly in the... Read More
Violent Strikes 14 Jul 20140 Violent Strikes Our news over the past couple of years has been dominated by the... Read More
When the Ancestors Call 11 Jul 20140 When the Ancestors Call One of South Africa’s unique features is its diversity which is... Read More
Grievance and Recruitment 09 Jul 20140 Grievance and Recruitment An examination of unfair labour practice cases referred to the CCMA, shows... Read More
Sexual Harassment In the Workplace 09 Jul 20140 What is sexual harassment? Put simply, sexual harassment constitutes as any unwanted attention of a... Read More
It’s Strike Season again! 07 Jul 20140 Bruniquel Bulletin #4-2014 A time for cool heads Our national news has again been dominated... Read More
Assault / Fighting at Work 21 May 20140 Assault / Fighting at work When I started work for a major soap manufacturer in... Read More
Drunk and Sleeping on Duty? 21 May 20140 Drunk and Sleeping on Duty? A technician (we will call him Puzi Gologo), working on... Read More
Drunk Driving 21 May 20140 Drunk Driving In 2009, Heather Clark, one of South Africa’s top female surfers of all... Read More
Disciplinary Enquiries 14 May 20140 Disciplinary Enquiries One of the fundamental rights of an employee called to appear before a... Read More
Poor Performance 14 May 20140 Poor Performance During a training course learners advised me that in the past 10 years... Read More
Ill Health 14 May 20140 Ill Health A number of years ago – long before we became aware of the... Read More
Don’t fight it, use it to your advantage! 30 Apr 20140 Bruniquel Bulletin #3-2014 One of the major complaints of South African employers is that it... Read More
Notice of A Disciplinary Enquiry 30 Apr 20140 Disciplinary Enquiry After a preliminary investigation shows there is cause to initiate a disciplinary enquiry,... Read More
Assumptions 30 Apr 20140 Assumptions In doing research for our leadership training programmes, I came across a story dating... Read More
The Role of a Supervisor 24 Apr 20140 Supervisors It’s 20 years since our readmission to the international community and, South African business... Read More
False IOD Claims 24 Apr 20140 False IOD Claims If an employee is injured on duty, the Occupational Health and Safety... Read More
Should Expired Warnings Be Removed From Employees’ Files? 24 Apr 20140 Expired Warnings No! Expired warnings should not be taken into account for purposes of progressive... Read More
Accomplices 24 Apr 20140 Accomplices Unfortunately, crime being what it is in South Africa, most employers are likely at... Read More
Disciplinary Training 11 Apr 20140 Disciplinary Training Employee engagement has been recognized by the world’s top performing organisations as a... Read More
Don’t allow it to be abused 04 Apr 20140 Bruniquel Bulletin #2-2014 The 1997 amendment to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act introduced a... Read More
Middle Managers – The Ham In The Sandwich 27 Mar 20140 Middle Management In an article on middle managers, Mark Muller of American consultants, the Oliver... Read More
Coaching Towards Leadership 27 Mar 20140 Coaching Coaching is integral to effective leadership. Effective leadership allows others to realise their potential... Read More
The 1925 General Miners’ Strike – lessons for today 27 Jan 20140 Miner’s strike The 1922 General Miners’ Strike, also known as the Rand Rebellion or Red... Read More
Headlines – 4 Miners shot dead, 40 wounded! 27 Jan 20140 Headlines – 4 Miners shot dead, 40 wounded! This is not a report on the... Read More
The History of Trade Unions and its Impact On Today’s Industrial Relations 27 Jan 20140 Trade Unions To understand why Industrial Relations is such a heated, divisive issue in South... Read More
The 1973 Strike Lessons Still Relevant Today 27 Jan 20140 The 1973 Strike Lessons Although the 1976 Soweto student riots are often seen as the... Read More
The Role of HR in Discipline 27 Jan 20140 The Role of HR in Discipline NUMSA Obo Daniels / DCD Marine (2009) 18 MEIBC... Read More
Strikes 27 Jan 20140 Strikes Factors Affecting the Strike Temperature Like last year, South Africa is likely to battle... Read More
Poor Performance or Misconduct 27 Jan 20140 Poor Performance or Misconduct If you ask managers whether everyone under their control gives a... Read More
Know Yourself 27 Jan 20140 Know Yourself Does the man make the suit or the suit make the man? This... Read More
Insubordination 27 Jan 20140 Insubordination What do you do when an employee refuses an instruction? Common law requires employees... Read More
Leadership 27 Jan 20140 Leadership Employee engagement has been recognized by the world’s top performing organisations as a force... Read More