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Article 13/2023

What is the extent of the duty on a person when applying for a job to disclose the circumstances under which his or her employment with a previous employer had been terminated?

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  • In Intercape Ferreira Mainliner (Pty) Ltd v McWade and Others (2019) 30 SALLR 148 (LC), it was held that, when applying for a job, there is a duty to disclose the circumstances under which employment with a previous employer was terminated if it is material to the prospective employer’s decision whether to employ such person or not
  • In similar vein, in Ndudane v Premier of Eastern Cape (2022) 33 SALLR 6 (ECB), it was held that an employee has an absolute duty to disclose such facts that are within his or her knowledge, which are material to a prospective employer’s decision whether to employ him or her
September 7, 2026

The previous article dealt with the distinction between misconduct constituting desertion and misconduct constituting abscondment – see, further, in this regard, Okhahlamba Local Municipality v Mabuya (2021) 32 SALLR 12 (LC).

In this article, what we attempt to do is provide some clarity as to a very different misconduct, namely, the misconduct of deeming desertion.

August 31, 2026

What is the difference between desertion and abscondment?

August 17, 2026

We think that everyone understands that an employer is vicariously liable for the wrong committed (an act or omission) by its employee during the course/scope/sphere of employment/engagement in any activity reasonably incidental to it.

But, what is the extent of an employer’s vicarious liability where the employee commits a wrong on his or her own volition?