South African employment law, explained for employers
Short guides for the person who runs HR in a business without an HR department. Each one says what the law requires, which section it comes from, and the questions owners ask us most.
General information, not legal advice. Where your situation is unusual, or a dispute has started, speak to a labour law practitioner.
Annual leave in South Africa
How many days staff are owed, how the leave cycle works, who decides when leave is taken, and what you pay out when somebody leaves.
Read the guide Leave · BCEA s22 and s23Sick leave in South Africa
The three-year cycle, the rule for new starters, when you may ask for a medical certificate, and why sick leave is never paid out.
Read the guide Discipline · LRAWritten warnings in South Africa
Verbal, written and final written warnings: a fair process step by step, how long a warning counts, and what to do when somebody will not sign.
Read the guide Leave · BCEA s25, as read in 2025Parental leave after the Van Wyk judgment
Since October 2025 there is one kind of leave for every parent. Four months, or four months and ten days shared, and what the UIF still pays.
Read the guideWant everything on one page?
The free HR compliance checklist lists thirty-seven things a South African employer should be able to show, from written particulars on day one to the UI-19 on the way out.
Let the system keep count
LetterUp keeps leave balances, warning dates and contract records for you, worked out under the BCEA and the LRA.
Fourteen days, every feature, no card.