Sonja Vorster
The time of the year arrived for our domestic employers to increase the wage rates, effective on December 1, 2016, if it is below the new minimum wage rates for your employees. Please remember that the minimum rate also applies to your gardener or general labourer that is employed by you as a worker at your home.
The Sectoral Determination Wage table for the domestic worker sector falls in two categories being Area A, which is mainly your larger towns and cities such as Msunduzi (Pietermaritzburg) and eThekwini (Durban). Any municipal areas not listed under Area A in the determination fall into Area B. T
he municipal areas are listed in alphabetical order with the new names such as eThekwini and Msunduzi.
Our local area rates for the Umshezi (Estcourt and Weenen), Mpofana (Mooi River and Rosetta), Umgeni (Nottingham Road and Howick), Okhahlamba (Winterton, Cathkin area and Bergville), Emnambithi (Colenso and Ladysmith) towns falls under Area B
If you, as the employer, is paying above the rates listed above, it is not a requirement to increase the worker’s rates, but it is advisable and fair to increase your employee’s income yearly. The percentage used by the Department of Labour would be a good guideline to use.
For our local Area B, the increase percentage is 10.6 percent and for Area B the increase percentage is 8.6 percent. Employers, remember that your domestic and garden worker, works in and around your home and is part of your family. Treat them like you would like to be treated with dignity and respect and pay them accordingly.
Remember that it is also a legal requirement to register yourself as a domestic employer and register your domestic/garden worker for UIF (Unemployment Insurance Fund) if they work more than 24 hours in a month for you.
