INSIDE YOUR BUSINESS: How Far Can Employers Go with Off-Duty Misconduct?

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GUEST: Kagiso Lebethe – Senior Employee Relations Specialist

An after-hours braai, a private dispute and an assault that never happened at work yet the fallout landed squarely in the Labour Court. We unpack a landmark ruling that is reshaping how employers approach discipline beyond the workplace.

After Saficon Industrial Equipment dismissed several employees over an off-duty incident and their alleged failure to report it, the Labour Court drew a firm line around employer jurisdiction, ruling the dismissals substantively unfair and ordering reinstatement. The case raises critical questions about when off-duty conduct becomes a workplace issue and when it does not.
17 Dec 2025 2PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

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