(1) | When an employer contemplated dismissing one or more employees for reasons based on operational requirements, due regard shall be given to the provisions of Sections 189 and/or 189A of the Act. |
(2) | Notice shall be given by the employer or an employee to terminate a contract of employment as set out below: Provided that this shall not affect the right of an employer or employee to terminate a contract of employment without notice for any cause recognised by law as sufficient. |
(a) | Notice to be given of not less than: |
(i) | one week if the employer has been employed for six months or less; |
(ii) | two weeks if the employee has been employed for more than six months, but not more than one year; |
(iii) | four weeks if the employee has been employed for one year or more. |
(b) | In the event that an employee having been dismissed based on operational requirements (i.e. retrenched), the following terms shall apply: |
(i) | employees so affected shall receive first preference, should the positions that they previously occupied with the same employer, be available within a period of six months following the date of their dismissal. |
(ii) | upon re-employment as contemplated under sub -clause (b) (i) above, such employees shall not be paid less than the weekly rate of pay applicable as at the date of dismissal. |
(c) | Employees being dismissed as provided for in terms of sub-clause (1) above, shall be paid a retrenchment allowance: |
(i) | equal to one weeks' normal wages for every completed year of service; |
(ii) | In recognition of long service the following is payable in addition to the above |
- | 10 to twenty years service - one additional weeks normal wages |
- | Twenty years service and more - two additional weeks normal wages |
[Part 1 Clause 28(2)(c) substituted by section 6 of Notice No. 601, GG45328 dated 15 October 2021]
(d) | Despite the provisions of sub -clause (a), (i), (ii) or (iii) above, in the event that a more favourable notice period is granted by the employer, the more beneficiary notice period shall apply. |
(e) | An employer or employee may terminate the contract of employment without notice by: |
(i) | paying the employee; or |
(ii) | paying or forfeiting to the employer in lieu of notice, an amount not less than the wages the employee would have received in terms of sub-clause (a), (i), (ii), and (iii) above; |
(iii) | for such longer period as agreed upon by the employer and employee. |
(f) | Notice in terms of this Clause, shall not run concurrently with or shall not be given during— |
(i) | The holiday period referred to under Clause 13 and |
(ii) | any period of illness not exceeding two weeks in any one year. |