Basic Guide to Affirmative Action | Western Cape Government

Basic Guide to Affirmative Action

(The Government of South Africa)

Employment EquityAffirmative Action ensures that qualified people from designated (black people, women and people with disabilities) groups have equal opportunities in the workplace.
 

This applies to:

  • Employers with 50 or more workers, or whose annual income is more than the amount specified in Schedule 4 of the Act.
  • Municipalities.
  • Organs of State.
  • Employers ordered to comply by a bargaining council agreement.
  • Any employers who volunteer to comply.

Employers need to make sure that designated groups all have equal opportunities in the workplace. Designated groups should be equally represented in all job categories and levels at work.

In order to create fairness in the workplace, employers need to do the following:

  • Find and remove things that badly affect designated groups.
  • Support diversity through equal dignity and respect to all people.
  • Make changes to ensure designated groups have equal chances.
  • Ensure equal representation of designated groups in all job categories and levels in the workplace.
  • Retain and develop designated groups.
  • And preferential treatment and numerical goals to ensure equitable representation. This excludes quotas.

All employment equity issues should be discussed with workers by the employer. These talks must include all designated groups. All job categories and levels, designated groups as well as workers who are not from designated groups should be present at these talks.

Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998

Sourced: www.labour.gov.za

The content on this page was last updated on 30 January 2019