It’s officially Employment Equity Submission season, as submissions for Employment Equity (EE) Reports are open with the Department of Employment until January 2021.
Designated Employers are compelled by law to submit their EE Reports during this time, or face penalties in the form of a fine of up to R1.5million or up to 10 years’ imprisonment. These penalties are severe, which means that Designated Employers cannot risk failing to submit their EE Reports. After hundreds of successful EE Report submissions for South African companies, here are SDF Corp’s top tips for a successful EE Report submission or Audit:
Accurate forms – Part of your EE Report comprises the EEA2 form, the EEA4 form, and the Acknowledgement Letter. These forms must be completed and submitted on time with utmost care to reduce your chances on receiving an audit from the Department of Employment and Labour.
Legitimate reasons for failing to meet targets – If you have failed to reach the goals and targets your have set in your EE Plan, you need to provide legitimate reasons and proof thereof. For example, financial reasons could have thwarted your recruitment efforts as per your goals and targets. Another legitimate reason would be a lack of qualified candidates in the industry for the position you needed to recruit.
Commitment – True transformation can only take place with buy-in from top management, down to the last employee in the organisation’s organogram. The Department of Employment and Labour’s inspectors are adept at spotting Plans that are presented on paper only, and will easily require an audit if they suspect that Employment Equity is not truly being implemented in the organisation. Employment Equity is a tool to bring true fairness and equality into your workplace and your commitment to the spirit of the legislation will be a strong determinant of a successful EE Report submission.
Designated Employers that successfully weave Employment Equity into the fabric of their organisational culture will be able to go through the EE Report submission period with little to no trouble. Employers that fail on the implementation of their EE Plan can expect an audit from the Department of Employment and Labour, and employers that fail to submit their EE Reports with accuracy will face the penalties as stipulated by this legislation.
Johan Koch from the SDF Corp Group is a specialist in Employment Equity with over 5 years’ practical experience in successful Employment Equity consultation, implementation, and submissions for South African companies.
For more information or to book a consultation for Employment Equity in your workplace, contact [email protected] or visit sdfcorp.co.za
