Everyone wants to know how they can grow their salary, how they can take their increase above the standard percentage point and take home more for their hard work. Fortunately, there are steps that anyone can follow that will help them to grow their salary and their value.
 
“Your first step is to know your value and believe in yourself,” says Lavine Haripersad, Payroll Manager, South African Payroll Association (SAPA). “If you walk into a meeting to negotiate your salary and you’re vague on your value, then things are unlikely to change. If you’re confident and recognise how you contribute to the business, then you are more likely to negotiate with confidence.”
 
Have a clear understanding of your job requirements and what is expected of you. Things are always changing, in every profession, and those who keep abreast of the latest trends and technology, who are constantly updating their knowledge will be in a strong position when looking to negotiate a raise.  Build a network of peers, expand your understanding of your role and develop your skills.
 
“This will make a huge difference in how you can negotiate,” says Haripersad. “It is further supported by going the extra mile. Hard work does pay so if your standard increase is 7% and you are angling for a 9% increase, then you can’t be a 9-5 person. Ensure that you achieve performance scores beyond what is expected of you.”
 
Show your value
In fact, by consistently overachieving on your KPIs, you are placing yourself in a very strong position as an employee. However, you also need to let the business know that you are a high achiever and that you are adding value to the business. It is important to showcase your work, to let management see how you are performing and to make yourself an indispensable resource.
 
“You almost want to ensure that your company is now working to keep you happy,” says Haripersad. “Put your hand up, accept challenges and expand your role. Be the person who is visibly making an effort to be a part of the company.”
 
Before moving into any salary negotiation, you also need to do your research. Find out what your role is worth on the market and what the salary benchmark is. There are different levels of benchmark, so you need to do all the right things to negotiate and earn at the upper level.
 
Be willing to grow
“Know your strengths and your weaknesses too, and be receptive to criticism,” adds Haripersad. “Show how you are working to grow yourself and to make all the right changes. Look for ways to work smarter and be sure to share your knowledge.  Use feedback to build a strong relationship with your manager and an open line of communication. If you talk to your manager and make his or her life easier, they will see your value to them as well.”
 
Finally, be unique. Don’t be the run-of-the-mill employee, be the person who stands out and makes a positive and constructive difference. This doesn’t mean vibrant feathered hats; rather a focus on doing the best you can while ensuring that people know you are there and willing to do your job. By immersing yourself in the culture and future of your company, you will be in a strong position to grow your salary that important extra percent.
 
ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Idéle Prinsloo, 082 573 9219, idele@thatpoint.co.za, www.atthatpoint.co.za  
 
For more information on SAPA please visit:
Website: http://www.sapayroll.co.za/
Twitter: @SAPayroll
LinkedIn: The South African Payroll Association

Author: Lavine Haripersad, Vice Chair, South African Payroll Association (SAPA)
 
The year is rushing to an end and many South Africans are looking forward to a well-deserved break. It has been a difficult year for most companies with the unprecedented negative economic and political climate.  Companies are battling to be profitable. 
 
It is also a time of year where many employees have an expectation of receiving some reward in the form of an annual bonus. A bonus is different from a 13th cheque, as the payment of annual bonuses is not guaranteed. The employer can decide whether he wants or is able to reward his employees by paying a bonus. If it has never been the practice there is no fear that the business falls foul of the labour laws.
 
If the company has a policy of paying a guaranteed 13th cheque which is stipulated in the employee’s employment contract, it will be a transgression of the labour laws if the payments are not made.  And, if the company habitually pays out bonuses, but this year they cannot afford to do so, it has to inform its employees well in advance that it is deviating from its normal practice.
 
Ideally employees would be informed at least six months before the time that there will be no bonuses to ensure there are no expectations of getting one. People tend to over-commit themselves if they have an expectation of getting a bonus at the end of the year. Many spend the bonus long before they receive it and this can cause hardship or even greater indebtedness.
 
Performance-linked bonus
Many companies have also established a policy of “performance linked bonuses” where performance targets are set at the start of a financial year. Specific performance targets are set for individual employees, mainly those who are in senior management positions who have a direct influence in the way the company is run and perform.
 
The bonus is normally calculated as a percentage of the employee’s remuneration and the company should have a clear policy in place, which sets out the criteria that have to be met in order for the bonuses to be paid out.
 
In most instances there will be a component of business performance targets to be achieved for the company. It is quite likely that the business may have performed well, but certain individuals were unable to meet their individual performance targets, or the other way around.
 
The policy must be clear about how the bonuses will be calculated and this must be completely transparent.
 
Impact of no bonus
Despite receiving forewarning that annual bonuses will not be paid out, it certainly is demotivating. As this potentially affects productivity, it would benefit a company greatly if it is open and transparent about its financial situation and future prospects of re-introducing bonuses.
 
Furthermore, companies can find other, less expensive ways of motivating its employees if they are unable to afford bonuses. These include days off for years worked or rewarding overtime with days off. It may even include a wellness day at the office or allowing for flexible working hours in certain circumstances.
 
The fortunate ones
Employees who are in the fortunate position of receiving a bonus should be cautious not to spend it all on holidays or gifts, but rather to use it wisely to reduce debt, for instance.
 
Many companies have a policy of a 13th cheque that is paid at the end of the year.  This payment is guaranteed if it forms part of the company’s total cost to company. The employment contract will stipulate whether the employee gets a guaranteed 13th cheque, or a bonus that depends on individual performance or the performance of the company.
 
Employees must ensure that this is clearly stipulated in their employment contracts. If there is no mention of a 13th cheque, the employer is not obliged to pay it.  However, if it is clearly stipulated in the contracts, and the company does not honour this agreement with its employees, it amounts to unfair labour practice.
 
Even in tough times it is expected that the company makes provision for the payment of the 13th cheque. Companies are committed to this payment in the same way they are committed to paying salaries.
 
ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Idéle Prinsloo, 082 573 9219, idele@thatpoint.co.za, www.atthatpoint.co.za  
 
For more information on SAPA please visit:
Website: http://www.sapayroll.co.za/
Twitter: @SAPayroll
LinkedIn: The South African Payroll Association

Companies in South Africa must meet their legal obligation to ensure that their employees are paid fairly, or prepare themselves for the consequences. This is the advice offered by Arlene Leggat, a Director at the South African Payroll Association (SAPA). “Specifically, they must have a documented system for determining the value of an employee’s job and it must be applied consistently across their workforce,” she urges.

Unfair discrimination and pay
As per the Constitution of South Africa, the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 as amended prohibits any person from unfairly discriminating, directly or indirectly, against an employee, in any employment policy or practice, on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, family responsibility, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, HIV status, conscience, belief, political opinion, culture, language or birth.
 
According to Leggat, “Although the legislation covers a broad range of issues, such as recruitment practices or career development, pay is a core concern because it’s why people work in the first place. Discrimination in this basic area means they’re being unjustly deprived of a better way of life.”
 
Employers are obliged under the Act to eliminate unfair discrimination in respect of pay. They must also ensure that differences in terms and conditions of employment between their employees who are performing work that is the ‘same, substantially the same or of equal value’, do not arise because of the above factors. However, where those factors are considered in terms of an affirmative action programme, it is not unfair discrimination.

Auditing inequality
The Code of Good Practice on Equal Pay/Remuneration for Work of Equal Value (Government Gazette No. 38837 of 2015) sets out practical guidelines for employers to audit their pay policies on an annual basis to identify inequalities.
 
Using this companion to the Act, they must determine which jobs should be audited and if:
a) jobs being compared are the same, substantially the same or of equal value;
b) if there are differences in the terms and conditions of employment regarding pay for these jobs; and
c) if these differences are non-discriminatory and can be justified.
 
When evaluating jobs, employers should consider the responsibilities demanded of the work; the skills, qualifications (including prior learning) and experience required; the physical, mental and emotional effort needed; and the working conditions of the job. They should also take special precautions not to evaluate female-dominated jobs using the same criteria as male-dominated jobs.
 
However, the law doesn’t demand that all employees doing similar work should be paid the same. Certain factors must be considered, like seniority, above-average capability, personal performance (provided the same evaluations are applied  equally), freezing an employee’s pay after demotion until it aligns with fellow workers, shortage of a particular skill, or any other non-discriminatory factor.
 
Employers should familiarise themselves with the Act and the Code of Good Practice to ensure that they satisfy all requirements. “Although they’ll receive ample opportunity to get their houses in order,” warns Leggat, “non-compliance will eventually amount to legal woes which are better avoided.”
 
ENDS
 
MEDIA CONTACT: Idéle Prinsloo, 082 573 9219, idele@thatpoint.co.za, www.atthatpoint.co.za 
 
For more information on SAPA please visit:
Website: http://www.sapayroll.co.za/
Twitter: @SAPayroll
LinkedIn: The South African Payroll Association

The gig economy (also known as the ‘sharing’ economy) has been in the media quite recently. Issues related to Uber drivers in the United Kingdom, for example, is just one example of how the digitisation of services, globalisation and the rise of independent contractors are changing the way we differentiate between ‘employees’, ‘service providers’ and ‘contractors’.

Cathie Webb, Director of the South African Payroll Association, says owing to available business models today varying greatly, it would be nearly impossible to create a one-size-fits-all approach that would apply to all workers. Despite this, the focus should be on ensuring that people are compensated fairly and legally protected in our changing, increasingly flexible economy.

Why payment and accountability becomes a complex issue
“The reason why it’s difficult to create a clear-cut payment strategy for gig workers is because there are different types of working situations. A worker could be using an international app to find work and deliver products or services and there wouldn’t necessarily be a local intermediary company involved, which would make payment accountability a more complex legal issue,” says Webb.

The United Kingdom recently ruled that Uber drivers aren’t ‘self-employed’ and should earn the national living wage. This decision has been appealed and negotiations are ongoing, but it highlights the way that many businesses may need to change their models and definitions regarding ‘employee’ vs ‘contract worker’.

Other examples of the gig economy are running smoothly. Etsy allows craftsmen to market their products to an audience that they wouldn’t normally be exposed to and Fiverr.com enables professionals to share their skills in an international marketplace.

“These are easier gig economy scenarios because an invoice is sent to a customer and the intermediary or website takes a cut. This is like paying rent for a shop floor space,” says Webb.

Clarity in work contracts are needed
In South Africa, the national Income Tax Act has guidelines to establish whether a person is in standard or non-standard employment, along with guidelines as to how these workers should be compensated and taxed. One of the key elements is ensuring that the employment contract is correctly formulated.

“Essentially, if someone is giving one’s capacity to serve at the disposal of the company, that person is an employee.  If the person is producing a product or providing a service for a company, then the person is a private contractor.  This detail should be clearly defined in the contract between the two parties,” says Webb.

There are also many other guidelines by the South African Revenue Service that can be used to test whether a person is an independent contractor or an employee. The number of hours spent on the company’s premises, the amount of supervision that is required by the company, and whether the contractor employs additional people, for example, can indicate whether a worker should be submitting invoices each month or should be paying to Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax. 

​“This is a complex issue and there will undoubtedly be many more conversations around the compensation and benefits that apply to gig economy workers.  What needs to be determined is whether the gig economy worker is as free is we believe to manage their own output, deliverables, and earnings,” concludes Webb.

ENDS
 
MEDIA CONTACT: Idéle Prinsloo, 082 573 9219, idele@thatpoint.co.za, www.atthatpoint.co.za  
 
For more information on SAPA please visit:
Website: http://www.sapayroll.co.za/
Twitter: @SAPayroll
LinkedIn: The South African Payroll Association