Article 28/2023

Does a reinstatement order in itself reinstate an employee?

Does a reinstatement order restore the contract unfairly terminated?

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  • when an employee is unfairly dismissed, the contract between him and his employer is
    terminated by dismissal
  • if a reinstatement order is obtained, this does not restore such employment contract and the employee has no automatic claim to back pay or future pay
  • the reinstatement order indeed directs the employee to tender services and the employer to accept same – the simple truth is that the employer reinstates the employee and the employee cannot rely on the order granted
  • if the employee tenders services in terms of the reinstatement order and the employer refuses such services, no restoration of the employment contract takes place – the reinstatement order is enforced by means of contempt proceedings (an order ad factum praestandum)
  • on the other hand, if the employee fails to tender his or her services, the contract is not restored and he has no claim for back pay or future pay
July 3, 2025

Is it a requirement that each page of an affidavit must be initialled? Is it a requirement that every page of every annexure to an affidavit must be initialled?

June 26, 2025

The first leg of the test to determine whether or not urgency exists, when an urgent application is brought, requires a court to assess whether an urgent hearing is necessary because the applicant will not be able to obtain substantial redress in the normal course.

June 19, 2025

Previous articles this year dealt with a zero-tolerance policy when tested positively for alcohol or drugs, as well as a zero-tolerance policy in respect of having tested positive for cannabis. In short, the courts hold the viewpoint that, by means of such policies, an employer is not permitted to create an absolute ‘no go zone’ and, furthermore, held that, at all given times, one of the fundamental questions to be asked, irrespective of the content of such zero-tolerance policy, is the effect of the drugs/alcohol/cannabis on the ability of the employee to do his/her job.