You’ve just received your dream job offer, but there’s a catch. You need to start the new job in a month’s time, but your current employer requires you to give three months’ notice.
PREMIUM! Health workers in protective gear walk out from a blocked off area after spraying disinfectant in Shanghai s Huangpu district on January 27, 2021, after residents were evacuated following the detection of a few cases of COVID-19 coronavirus in the neighbourhood. (Photo by STR / AFP)
So, you’ve tested positive for Covid-19 after returning to the office this year. What now? Can you really use the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA) to claim against your illness? Well, it’s complicated, suggests Senior Legal Advisor at Strata-g Labour Solutions, Justin Hattingh. According to recent data from the Department of Employment and Labour there were 11 233 claims registered with the Compensation Fund by 16 November 2020, with the total benefits paid out to date, in the amount of R 15 444 508,10. This is quite a substantial number, Hattingh points out. South African employers are.
In a bid to minimise the rate of infection, the Covid-19 regulations places a greater responsibility on workplace compliance with fines being touted for transgressors.