The Basic Conditions of Employment Act and the Labour Relations Act govern employment relationships, including rights, obligations, and duties between employers and employees. These laws apply to permanent, fixed-term, and part-time job contracts.
Permanent Employment Contract
Contracts that are valid for an extended period of time, or at least until the date of retirement; these contracts can be terminated earlier by mutual consent, resignation, or for reasons related to misconduct, incapacity, or employer operational requirements. Apart from the aforementioned, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act stipulates certain necessary minimum standards of employment, such as leave, work hours, maternity leave, and notice periods, regardless of the form of employment contract.
Fixed-Term Work Agreements
A fixed-term employment contract automatically ends when a predetermined date approaches or a predetermined event that was agreed upon by the parties in the employment contract takes place.
Therefore, where the nature of the work is for a limited time only or tied to the completion of a certain project, fixed-term contracts are typically used.
Part-Term Contracts
Employees who work part-time are not the same as full-time, permanent, fixed-term workers. Part-timers put in fewer hours per week than full-time, permanent, and fixed-term workers. For instance, part-time workers typically only put in half a day’s work, twice or three times a week, or solely on the weekends.
Furthermore, minimum wages and compensation are governed by the National Wage Act, which prohibits employers from paying their staff less than the minimum wage as it is periodically set.
Source: https://www.golegal.co.za/employment-contracts-legislation/
