Source: http://www.labourguide.co.za/discipline-dismissal/1317-how-and-when-to-suspend-employees
Timestamp: 2017-01-21 02:17:01
Document Index: 227534736

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 2', 'art 5', 'art 8', 'art 7', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 5']

How and when to suspend employees | Labour Guide
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Is suspension with or without pay? Suspension is always as a rule on full pay unless the employee agrees to suspension without pay. In Sappi Forests (Pty) Ltd v CCMA & others (2008) 17 LC 1.11.83, reported in [2009] 3 BLLR 254 (LC), Judge Pillay ruled that “the position at common law has always been that an employer who suspends an employee without pay commits a breach of the contract of employment. An employer may suspend an employee without pay if the employee so agrees, or legislation or a collective agreement authorises the suspension.” From this it is therefore clear that employees may only be suspended without pay if they agree. An example would be suspension without pay as an alternative to a dismissal. The argument is that the employee made continued employment intolerable and that as a last attempt to correct the behaviour of the employee, the employer offered suspension without pay as an alternative to terminating the employment relationship. In County Fair v CCMA & Others [1998] 6 BLLR 577 (LC) and South African Breweries Ltd (Beer Division) v Woolfrey & Others [1999] 5 BLLR 525 (LC) it was held that suspension without pay is a permissible disciplinary penalty where appropriate. It is however recommended that such a sanction is subject to the employee signing a sanction by agreement letter.A fresh approach to section 186 (2)(b). In a Nohe & another / Maswika Stones t/a Tombstones Land (2010) 19 CCMA 6.4.1 commissioner Boyce took a fresh approach to the interpretation of a suspension in terms of section 186 (2)(b). The applicants claimed that they have been unfairly suspended after the employer discovered cash shortages. The suspension of the two employees was on full pay and pending a disciplinary hearing but they persisted that their suspensions constitute an unfair labour practice. Commissioner Boyce interpreted section 186 (2)(b) of the Labour Relations Act as follows: “the “unfair suspension” embodied in section 186(2)(b) of the Act precedes the words “or any other disciplinary action short of dismissal in respect of an employee”. The word “other” in the said section can only mean that the Legislature regards “unfair suspension” as but one type of “unfair disciplinary action short of dismissal”. Had the Legislature intended that any suspension could (if unfair) amount to an unfair labour practice, it would surely have dealt with suspension on its own in a sub-paragraph of section 186(2). The Legislature, in other words, would not have linked the words “unfair suspension” to “unfair disciplinary action short of dismissal” by using the words “any other”, if it did not regard the “unfair suspension” referred to in section 186(2)(b) of the Act as but one type of “unfair disciplinary action short of dismissal”. What this means is that a suspension which is not “disciplinary action short of dismissal” cannot amount to an unfair labour practice in terms of section 186(2)(b) of the Act. The “disciplinary action” which is envisaged by section 186(2)(b) of the Act, is a form of punishment, or a penalty (such as a written warning, suspension from work for a period of time, demotion, etc.) which is imposed on an employee by an employer for some sort of misconduct. In the present matter suspensions were not punitive suspensions, and they, consequently, did not amount to “disciplinary action”. The applicants’ suspensions were procedural steps pending their disciplinary hearings... The said suspensions were, therefore, not suspensions as contemplated by section 186(2)(b) of the Act since they cannot possibly fall into the category of “unfair disciplinary action short of dismissal”.” The question that must however be answered is whether the Labour Court will agree with Advocate Boyce?Suspension is one of the modules that are discussed in our one day “Managing Problem Employees” seminar. Enquiries can be addressed to Peraldo Senekal – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
. Jan du Toit is available to assist employers with disciplinary enquiries and ccma matters. He can be contacted on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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