Less than a week left to submit employment equity reports

The Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) is advising all designated employers to “beat the clock” and submit their annual employment equity (EE) reports ahead of the deadline set for midnight on 15 January.

The EE reporting season opened on 1 September 2022 for both manual and online reports. Submissions for manual reports closed on 1 October 2022.

“The submission of annual equity plans is further prescribed in accordance with the Employment Equity Act of 1998,” the DEL adds.

“The purpose of the Employment Equity Act is to promote equal opportunity and fair treatment in employment through the elimination of unfair discrimination, implementing affirmative action measures to redress the disadvantages in employment experienced by designated groups and to ensure their equitable representation in all occupational levels in the workforce.”

It says reports must contain prescribed information and be signed by the CEO of the designated employer.

“In terms of the EE legislation, a labour inspector has powers to enforce the implementation of the EE Act. Failure to abide with the provisions of the EE Act may result in imposition of fines.”

The DEL adds that this year’s EE report plans correspond with the year in which the amended EE legislation is anticipated to take effect, once it is signed into law.

This comes after the Employment Equity Amendment Bill (2020) was passed by Parliament on 17 May 2022 and awaits President Cyril Ramaphosa’s approval and signing into law.

The DEL says the main intentions of the amendments are to empower Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi to regulate specific EE targets, along with compliance criteria to issue EE compliance certificates in line with Section 53 of the EE Act.

As such organisations, especially those doing business with the state, will have to be in good standing when it comes to EE compliance, it adds.

Nondumiso Lehutso is a Moneyweb intern.