Category: Uncategorized @af-za

By Wilma Bedford

According to recent research as published in the American Time Use Survey,we  spend an average of 8.9 hours a day at work and on related activities. In contrast, we only spend around 2.5 hours on leisure and sports.

Considering that we spend significantly more time with our colleagues than our friends, it’s only logical that some of the most solid friendships are formed at work. A friendship with a co-worker can be on equal footing, because neither of you holds authority over the other in the workplace. However, when it’s your boss who’s your friend or even your BFF, the lines between professional and personal can easily get blurred.

The following scenarios will give you perspective and will provide you with dos and don’ts regarding being friends with your boss:

• It becomes difficult for your boss to criticise you

When making a mistake while doing your job, your boss is supposed to provide the constructive criticism and guidance you need in order for you to improve in your job.  However, when your boss happens to be your friend, it can be difficult to do so, even if that criticism may be necessary for your own personal growth.  Your boss may be placed in a difficult position to offer corrections on your work as it may affect your personal relationship. If your boss is afraid to criticise you, you may continue making the same mistakes unknowingly, and your career growth may be hampered.

On the other hand, you may find it particularly harder to take criticism from someone you regard as a friend; you may tend to over-analyse the situation and come up with reasons as to why things happened the way they did. If your boss is not your friend, you will not hold anything against him or her and, most importantly, you will put reason before emotions.

• Draw a clear line between being personal and professional

It’s critical for both your friendship and your career that you keep the two relationships separate. This is usually much easier said than done – but failing to do so can adversely impact your life. For example, if you and your boss/friend are having a difference of opinion in your personal life, that can’t affect how you work together. And at work, you still have to defer to your boss’s decisions, even if you don’t agree. You always have to bear in mind that your boss’s first responsibility is to act in the company’s best interest. At work, your friendship comes second.

When your boss is your friend, he or she may also end up taking up your free time and mentioning work when all you want to do is relax and enjoy yourself. You may find yourself unable to escape office life as your boss is free to contact you, considering how your friendship goes beyond the office. This is an unwelcome reality that may really affect your personal life.

Your boss may also use that time to ask you about some of your other colleagues, as a way to get a deeper insight into the day-to-day happenings of the office.  This could put you in a difficult position and conflict may arise in the office as some of your colleagues may accuse you of spying on them and divulging information that might have been imparted in confidence. In the end, you may end up making enemies of your colleagues instead of getting along with them.

• Accusations of favouritism

On the surface it may seem like a good idea to be in good books with the boss, but your co-workers may eventually think that your boss is not taking a tough stance with you, as compared with them. This may lead to a hostile work environment.  You may, for instance, be promoted, not because you are friends with the boss, but because you are genuinely good at your work. However, your co-workers may think that you are being promoted only because you are friends with your boss and not because you actually earned the promotion. Even a raise for putting in hard work may be taken as a sign of favouritism.

• Alienating your co-workers

Be aware of how your co-workers perceive your friendship. Regularly take a moment and objectively evaluate how your relationship appears to your colleagues. If your relationship at work could possibly be interpreted as unprofessional – for example, if you’re gossiping or spending more time than necessary together – then it’s time to take action to correct that. Keep in mind that even if your boss isn’t treating you any differently from the rest, if your colleagues think he or she is, it could work against you.

Also remember that your co-workers are the people you spend more time with than your actual boss in the office. Alienating them and causing them to treat you with suspicion and disdain may have you ending up hating going to work and producing poor quality work.  Ultimately you may become depressed and detest your job, something you may have actually really loved. Avoid all these scenarios and keep it professional!

• The implications may be costly if your boss is of the opposite sex

It is always good to work well with your boss, but there may be implications if your boss is of the opposite sex.  You may really want to be friendly with your boss so that the work environment is friendly. However, what happens when your boss starts asking for more? All this can be avoided by maintaining professionalism at all times and not befriending your boss in the first place.

• Your friendship with your boss may lead to complications within the work environment

Regardless of how much you get along with your boss, he or she will still be your boss first, and as such will always be your superior. Your boss also has an obligation to his or her boss, to deliver a particular standard of work which may be compromised if he or she takes on a relaxed approach with subordinates.

• Revisit your priorities

Consider why you took the job in the first place. You did not join the organisation to be your boss’ favourite employee, you joined the organisation to work, improve yourself professionally and earn a living. Keep this in mind. You are only as happy as the people in your surroundings. Remember this and do not alienate them.

By Anja van den Berg

You need to have multiple skills to stay relevant in today’s job market. It’s that simple. But you don’t need to go back to university or stop your life to keep learning. Enter skills-stacking. Skill-stacking is a strategy that combines unique abilities that complement each other, providing a competitive advantage in the workplace. It’s about developing a diverse and essential set of capabilities that can help you advance in your career and enhance your employability.

With skill-stacking you can synergise various talents and abilities to create a unique blend that sets you apart. By accumulating multiple skills, you become  more versatile and valuable in the workplace. It’s a proven and highly beneficial strategy if you want to improve your chances of getting hired or promoted. It also gives you a much-needed boost when your career reaches a plateau. Let’s look at how you can skill-stack without breaking the bank.

1. Identify your strengths and weaknesses

To start skill-stacking, you need to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Assessing your abilities helps you determine what skills you need to acquire to complement your existing proficiencies. You can use free online tools to take skills assessments and find out where you stand. You can also ask a coach or mentor for candid feedback and recommendations.

2. Build your skills-stacking plan

Once you’ve identified your gaps, it’s time to start learning new skills, but you don’t have to break the bank to better yourself. There are many accessible and affordable resources available online Solidariteit Leer is another example. As Solidarity’s Centre for Continuing Education, S-leer helps working individuals achieve their career objectives, which form part of Solidarity’s core business, namely labour relations, skills development, and the network of work.

3. Leverage your current job

You can also skill-stack while on the job. Take advantage of every opportunity to learn new skills by volunteering for projects outside your job description. You can also seek mentorship from colleagues with expertise in areas you want to develop.

4. Network, network, network

Networking is an essential part of skill-stacking. Attend industry events, conferences, and workshops to meet other professionals in your field. By networking, you can learn about new trends and technologies that can help you build (or adapt) your skills stacking plan.

Solidarity supports workers in South Africa on various fronts. Mentorships, upskilling and training are part and parcel of our core focus. Our dedication to tertiary education and online learning are testament to our devotion. Click here to learn how you can benefit from various courses – some of them for free – to acquire new skills and enhance your employability.

By Heléne Leonard

The South African labour market is facing an important transition that affects the future of skills development and artisans. The transfer of artisans’ Red Seal database from the Department of Employment and Labour to the Department of Higher Education created a series of challenges. This transition has given rise to a necessary reregistration process for all artisans, which may affect the direction of skills development in the country.

The Department of Higher Education called on Solidarity’s Trades’ Network to convey this transition to artisans and to draw their attention to the critical importance of the reregistration process. This transition is not merely and administrative change; it is an opportunity for every tradesperson to participate in the future development of South Africa’s skills base.

One of the key aspects of this transition is adapting the database. This database is the rich source of information regarding artisans, their skills and education. It plays a crucial role in determining the essential skills list for South Africa.

One of the challenges of this process is the requirement of the Protection of Personal Information Act (No. 4 of 2013) (the POPI Act). This law protects the privacy and personal information of all individuals. This aspect makes it crucial to obtain consent to transfer personal information from one database to another. Artisans must now consider giving their consent to this transfer process, which will form the basis for the reregistration process.

Solidarity’s Trades’ Network acknowledges this challenge and has expressed its concern regarding the transfer of personal information. It is important to understand that this transfer is not merely an administrative task but a step to strengthen the skills ecosystem of the country.

Solidarity’s Trades’Network plays a crucial role as watchdog to protect the interests of artisans. The network has taken on the responsibility of monitoring the process and ensuring that it is not detrimental to members. This involvement is essential to ensure the smooth running of the reregistration process and to protect the interests of tradespeople.

In this transitional period, it is of the utmost importance that every tradesperson should pay attention to the requirement for reregistration and the transfer of personal information. The future skills base of South Africa depends on the successful implementation of this transfer. This step is not just an administrative obligation; it is the duty of every tradesperson to make a contribution to the greater skills development of the country.

At the heart of this transition process is the opportunity to strengthen skills in South Africa and to promote a new era of artisans’ skills. By approaching the reregistration process and the transfer of personal information sensibly, we can build a future rich in opportunity and skills development that all artisans can proudly embrace.

Solidarity welcomes the Department of Employment and Labour’s announcement that the draconian Employment Equity Amendment Act as well as the draft regulations the minister had announced in terms of this Act would no longer come into effect on 1 September 2023.

However, the Department still maintains that the previous Act must still be taken into account when race plans (EE plans) are drawn up in the workplace. Solidarity however warns employers that they could soon find themselves on the wrong side of the law if they do not heed the recent agreement reached between Solidarity and the government.

According to Dr Dirk Hermann, Solidarity chief executive, it is a major victory for the community that the Amendment Act and the regulations will not come into effect.

“It is important to realise that it was the community that has resisted this legislation in large numbers. This includes the 27 different organisations and political parties that recently signed an agreement at a joint conference in which they undertook to resist the Amendment Act and the regulations,” Hermann said.

Organisations such as Solidarity, Sakeliga, NEASA, the Democratic Alliance, the Freedom Front Plus and the South African Institute of Race Relations all started legal action.

Meanwhile, Solidarity and the South African government have reached an agreement on the country’s racial policy. In terms of this agreement race may no longer be the only factor in applying racial policies. Also, there may no longer be absolute ceilings, no one may be dismissed for the sake of affirmative action and empowerment in the workplace and natural staff turnover, as well as the pool of skills must be taken into account.

Solidarity now appeals to employers to take this settlement between Solidarity and the government into account when drafting any race plans.

Hermann says the settlement agreement that was reached with the government will have a huge impact on South Africa.

“This agreement stipulates that the settlement must be published as regulations in the Government Gazette. Employers therefore have no other choice but to take the settlement into consideration,” he says.

The settlement agreement will be made an order of the court on 31 October 2023.

“After 31 October 2023, the settlement agreement will be an order of the court, and the Amendment Act and the regulations will no longer come into force. This means that the face of race legislation in South Africa will never be the same again,” says Hermann.

“This is an important strategic blow that has been struck against the racial dispensation, but the war is not over yet.”

Solidarity does, however, believe that this historical event emphasises how unity and resistance from the community is the most effective countermeasure against a power greedy government.

Solidarity will take legal action if the ANC government continues to steamroller the planned BELA legislation with the support of the EFF.

This comes after both parties at a meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education to discuss the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill demanded that school governing bodies be stripped of their powers.

“The ruling party is clearly trying to capture South African schools,” Johnell van Vollenhoven, policy analyst at the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI) said.

“The South African Schools Act clearly states that parents are the ones having the greatest interest in the education of a child. This planned legislation is therefore nothing but an attempt to deprive people of their rights as parents, of minority’s rights and of the right to receive education in the language of one’s choice.”

According to Van Vollenhoven, statements made during this week’s portfolio committee sessions emphasised the BELA legislation’s sinister goals. ANC and EFF MPs in the committee said among other things that education departments, and not governing bodies, should be able to decide on the language and admissions policy of the approximately 23 000 public schools from now on.

They claim that this legislation aims to eradicate racism in schools, while it will indeed target parents’ say in their children’s education, and Afrikaans as language of instruction.

“In fact, only the schools with functional governing bodies shine like lanterns in an otherwise dark landscape of education failure. These are the schools, and specifically strong Afrikaans schools, that are targeted by this.

“Afrikaans is being turned into the scapegoat so that the government can mask its own education fiasco. This is another race-obsessed way that is presented as a solution to yet another self-imposed state crisis,” Van Vollenhoven said.

In November 2022 Solidarity made a presentation to parliament and has fully participated in public consultation processes.

According to Johan Botha, head of Solidarity’s Teachers’ Network, the legislation runs counter to the aims of democracy.

“The intention of the Constitution is precisely that public schools should function with greater autonomy and that communities should assume the responsibility for the management of schools. By failing to meet its obligations to build enough schools, or by providing sufficient resources and support to schools the government has proven itself as incompetent. Instead of the government fulfilling these responsibilities, it wants to deprive parents and governing bodies of their rights,” Botha said.

The attack on language policies can therefore also be seen as an attack on mother tongue education, as well as an attack on our children’s future. It can be anticipated that imperative anglicisation and more state ideology in curricula would be the logical consequence of this legislation.

Solidarity will not hesitate to take legal action should this amendment bill be passed.