Tags: employment equity, employment equity act, employment equity plan template, employment equity south africa, ee plan

Do you lie awake at night wondering how the Employment Equity Act applies to your company? Are you confused about the steps you need to take to implement employment equity in your company? That stops today - read on to discover what you need to do to get your EE plan on track.

If your company has than 50 employees or an annual turnover of between R2 million and R10 million (depending on the industry it's in), the Department of Labour regards you as a 'designated employer'. This means you were required to submit Employment Equity documents to the Department of Labour in October last year.
 
But just because you've submitted your documents, doesn't mean you can stop there. You still need to ensure you're complying with the employment equity act to avoid getting into trouble.
 
That's why the next step you have to take is to set up an Employment Equity plan.
 
What is an EE plan?
 
The Employment Equity Act requires that 'Every employer must take steps to promote equal opportunities in the workplace by eliminating unfair discrimination in any employment policy or practice'.
 
But is your company doing enough to ensure employment equity is a priority at your office?
 
If not, it's imperative you put an EE plan together.
 
What you EE plan needs to include
 
In a nutshell, your employment equity plan must set out the steps your company intends taking to achieve employment equity over the next one to five years, says the FAQ section on www.southafrica.info. To do this, you need to 'analyse [your] workforce profile as well as [your] employment practices and policies. In drawing up the plan, [you] must consult with unions and employees to get consensus around it.'
 
Once you've done that, you need to report on your EE plans regularly to the Department of Labour, who will monitor the plan's implementation.
 
Here's what your EE plan should contain, as explained by the labourprotect website:
 

• Your company's EE objectives for the duration of the plan.
• The affirmative action measures your company will implement to meet the obligations prescribed by the Employment Equity Act.
• The numerical goals you've set in place to achieve equitable representation of suitably qualified people from designated groups within each occupational category and management level, as well as the timetable within which your company will achieve this. (Your EE plan also needs to outline the strategies you've put in place to achieve these goals).
• The duration of the plan. Note this period must be between one and five years.
• What procedures have been put in place to monitor and evaluate the implementation of your company's EE plan. You'll also need to show whether reasonable progress is being made towards implementing employment equity in your company as well as the internal procedures you've put in place to resolve any dispute about the interpretation or implementation of the plan.
• Who the people responsible for implementing and monitoring your EE plan are.

 
For more on how to set up your EE plan, get your hands on the Department of Labour's 'Pamphlet on Developing an Employment Equity Plan' .
 

Author: Karin Iten