1. Leave, Public Holidays & UIF

As an employee you will be presented with the normal benefits as offered in our industry. Such benefits include all statutory components as per the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) of 1997, as amended from time to time i.e. annual leave, sick leave, maternity leave, UIF, etc.

A minimum of 8hrs leave, whether it is annual, sick or family responsibility needs to be accumulated before it can be claimed.

Annual Leave & Public Holidays

  • A consultant will be required to work on South African Public Holidays where their work is conducted by telephone into foreign countries and they are so requested by the company.
  • A consultant will be paid their Basic Hourly Rate for the hours normally worked whilst on Leave or for time worked on a South African Public Holiday.
  • Annual leave is calculated according to the BCEA formula: For every seventeen (17) productive hours worked you will be entitled to one (1) hour annual leave.
  • Payment for overtime and work on public holidays and Sundays shall be accordance with the provisions of the BCEA, as follows:
    • Where a consultant works on a South African Public Holiday:
      • the consultant will be paid their normal pay for that day, plus have an equivalent amount of hours worked added to their Annual Leave entitlement.
    • Where a consultant does not work on a South African Public Holiday:
      • the consultant will be required to take Paid Annual Leave for their normal hours for that day, or
      • where insufficient leave has been accumulated, the consultant will be required to take Unpaid Leave, at the company’s discretion.
    • If there is any unauthorised absence from work, not owing to illness for which a medical certificate is required, of any one day before or after a Public Holiday; it will be presumed that the Consultant is not able to work on that Public Holiday and the leave shall be deemed “General Unpaid Leave”.

Sick Leave

  • Sick leave is calculated according to the BCEA formula: For every twenty-six (26) productive hours worked, you will be entitled to one (1) hour sick leave.
  • For any absence owing to illness of two (2) consecutive days or more, or any two (2) single days during an eight (8) day period, or one (1) day before or (1) day after a weekend or public holiday the Employee shall be obliged to produce a medical certificate signed by a medical practitioner stating that the Employee was medically unfit to work for the period of his absence.
  • In the absence of a medical certificate, the leave shall be deemed Unpaid Sick Leave.
  • Sick leave available to the assignee will not be reflected on the monthly salary slip. Please ask your Team Leader/Manager should you require the relevant information.

Maternity Leave

  • By law you are required to take maternity leave one month prior to your due date, unless you have a doctor’s certificate stating that you are fit for duty.
  • Please notify your Team Leader/Manager in writing as to when you will be going on maternity leave (Refer to Annexure B).
  • One month before returning you are required to send a letter (Refer to Annexure C) to 3iSolutions Payroll department at (021) 447 1077 stating your intent to return and the date on which you will return, failing which 3iSolutions will not be obliged to keep your position open.
  • If you return to work before the legally stipulated 4-month period you are also required to provide a doctor’s certificate stating that you are fit for duty.
  • When claiming Maternity Benefits:
  • One week before commencing Maternity Leave, go to the Department Of Labour in your area and collect and complete a Maternity Form from UIF.
  • When returning to the Department of Labour, you must ensure that you have the following documentation:
    1. Copy of Bar Coded ID Book
    2. Copy of your last 6 payslips
    3. UI19 Form
    4. A Service Certificate from the employer
    5. Complete Medical Certificate
    6. Proof of banking details
  • Your application for Maternity Benefit will take 8 weeks to be processed by UIF.
  • You may claim a maximum of 4 months Maternity Benefits.
  • Subject to credits, benefits can be paid to a maximum of 121 days or 17.32 weeks in any period of 4 years.
  • The benefit rates range from 38% for the highly paid workers to 58% for the lower paid workers.

Unemployment Insurance Fund

  • What is UIF?

The government has established the Unemployment Insurance Fund in order to provide short-term relief to employees when they become unemployed, or are unable to work because of illness, maternity or adoption leave and also to provide relief to the dependants of the deceased contributor.

  • How is the money obtained to operate the Fund and pay benefits?

The employers and the workers of the labour market finance the Unemployment Insurance Fund, by their contributions, which they make to the Fund on a monthly basis.

All employees that work for more than 24 hours per month must contribute to the Fund.

  • What is regarded as earnings?

All money received from the employer, whether in cash or in kind, except for commission, is regarded as earnings and contributions must be paid on them. All allowances that are received are regarded as earnings and are liable for contributions. Examples of allowances are travelling allowances, entertainment allowances as well as food and accommodation allowances.

  • How much should I contribute to the Fund?

The contribution that should be deducted from your salary is equal to 1% of the total of all earnings, commission excluded. In addition to the 1% that is paid by the worker, the employer also contributes 1% for the worker. The total contribution that is paid is therefore 2%.

  • How will the Fund know how much to pay me when I am unemployed?

Benefits are paid for a maximum of 238 days or for the number of days’ credit that the person has accrued during a 4 year period, preceding the date of application.  Credits are given to the employee as they work and contribute to the Fund.

  • What are Credits and how are they earned?

For every 6 days worked as a contributor, 1 day’s credit is accrued. To qualify for the full 238 days credits, the worker must work for at least 4 years.  The employee is regarded as having contributed to the Fund from the first day of employment to the day that the services are terminated. A notice period worked before termination of service is also regarded as a period employed.

In the case of maternity benefits, a total of 121 days is payable, if sufficient credits are available.

  • What happens if my salary fluctuates every month or every week?

The average earnings over the last 6 months must be used to calculate earnings.

  • When is a contributor not entitled to receive benefits?

When the services of the contributor are terminated by the employer; or

If the worker resigns, unless the resignation can be deemed to be constructive dismissal.

  • Benefits are only paid if unemployment is for more than 14 days.
  • Unemployment Benefits:

Benefits are calculated from the date of unemployment, but paid from the date of application.

Application for benefits must be made, on a prescribed form, within 6 months of unemployment.

  • If you qualify for UIF, upon leaving the employment of 3iSolutions, it is your responsibility to request a UIF Schedule from 3iSolutions.
  • A UIF Schedule can only be requested once your last timesheet has been processed.
  • Once your UIF Schedule has been received, it will be posted directly to you, so it is your responsibility to ensure that 3iSolutions has your correct postal address, in order to facilitate timorous delivery.

Study Leave Policy

  • There is currently no study Leave benefit. Should you require taking leave for your exam, you will need to apply for annual leave.