Sunday World | April 28, 2025
Employers employing 50 or more employees must prepare and implement an Employment Equity (EE) plan for the period from September 1, 2025 to August 2030 to match the Sectoral Employment Equity (EE) target five-year time frame.
Masilo Refika, Deputy Director of Employment, Ministry of Employment and Labor, said this in a workshop organized as part of capacity building when preparing EE inspectors when conducting inspections and enforcement to improve compliance with the new law.
More than 50 Employment and Labor Inspectors specializing in employment equity have prepared for the implementation of the EE Amendment Act, which came into effect on January 1, including the EE regulations issued on April 15.
The training workshop for Employment Equity Inspector focused, among other things, on EE amendments, implementation and compliance with EE regulations, implementation of five-year sector EE goals for 18 economic sectors, and how to capture EE reports to request EE reports.
Lefika said the five-year sector number target is an important milestone for the demographics of the applicable economically active population, achieving an impartial representation of different designated groups within the four levels of the employer's workforce, achieving a significant milestone for people with disabilities.
He said designated employers must adhere to numerical targets set in terms of Section 15A(3) of the economic sector being operated.
Lefika noted that designated employers have no form of penalties or disadvantage if they have reasonable grounds to justify their failure to comply with the annual EE goals.
The valid reasons to be considered for failure to adhere to the annual EE goals were also outlined. Among them are inadequate recruitment opportunities, inadequate promotion opportunities, inadequate targets from designated groups with relevant qualifications, skills and experience, and the impact of economic situations on business.
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