Stéfan Swart Attorneys

South Africa in ‘lock down’ mode

President Cyril Ramaphosa has earlier tonight declared that South Africa will go into full “lock down” mode from midnight Thursday 26 March 2020 to Thursday 16 April 2020.  To drastic or perhaps necessary to curb the invisible evil? Only time will tell… Let us hope we as Nation will survive…  

Be rest-assure that whilst the current status quo remain, the team of Stéfan Swart Attorneys will be fully equip to provide uninterrupted professional services to you, albeit from the comfort of our own homes with the minimum amount of interruption to you and your business.  

God speed!

Relief for employers?!

Today the Minister of Employment and Labour announced temporary measures that the Unemployment Insurance Fund will be implementing to compensate affected employees and UIF contributors through a National Disaster Benefit as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic.

This National Disaster Benefit determines that: –

  • The employer may, as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, close their business for a this period and send employees home. This will amount to a temporary lay-off and if the employer cannot pay its employees for this period, the employer can then apply for the National Disaster Benefit from the UIF.
  • This benefit would be a special benefit and not linked to an employee’s normal UIF benefit structures.
  • This benefit will be at a flat rate equal to the minimum of wage rate of R 3,500.00 per employee for the duration of the shutdown or from a maximum period of 3 months, whichever is the shortest.
  • Should the employee be ill, temporary laid-off or unemployed for longer than 3 months, the normal UIF benefits will become applicable.

Reduced work time and illness benefits are also payable during this period.

Employers are urged to apply for these benefits completing the pre-requisite forms and submitting same to the UIF online portal to enable them to obtain this temporary relief whilst facing this epidemic.

Call us on +2782 707 6100 or email to stefan@swartattorneys.co.za for any assistance/queries you may have.