In The Know

Tobie NelJuly 24, 2024 Last week at our Harmony People Network HR Conference, one of our keynote speakers, Anja van Beek, spoke on The Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting in the workplace and I was astonished at the statistics that up to 63% of employees in the workplace are disengaged and up to 75% are…

Tobie NelJune 10, 2024 Recently, I had to deal with conflict in the workplace, especially the so called ‘Generation Z’ and the perceived challenges employees from this generation have in terms of relating to line management. It would appear that Gen Z employees find it difficult to related to authority in the traditional sense. Generation…

Tobie NelJuly 1, 2024 The employment landscape in South Africa, capital and labour, or shall we say ‘capital versus labour’ is often characterized by its inherent conflict of interest. Due to this reality it is no surprise that employees and employers so often display an adversarial approach to employment relations, often damaging the cohesion that…

Tobie NelSeptember 22, 2025 In many organizations today, particularly those with an aging workforce, long-serving employees are beginning to show signs of disengagement, despondency, and disconnection. These are individuals who, despite years of loyalty and contribution, now feel trapped in a professional rut. Their careers seem to have stalled, their sense of purpose has eroded,…

Tobie NelSeptember 18, 2024 All the news about the alleged non-compliance with labour laws by the Babel and Ocean Basket restaurants in the media this week is rather dramatic. Nevertheless, I have also seen a spike in Labour Inspectors visiting businesses to inspect compliance with labour laws, especially in terms of Minimum Wages, UIF, Employment…

Tobie NelApril 16, 2025 High levels of absenteeism, sick leave, and sick notes remain a contentious issue in the SouthAfrican workplace. While some employees abuse sick leave and submit falsified sick notes, manyemployers are unaware of the rise in mental illness cases in the corporate workspace. The Rise of Mental Health Issues According to Life…

Tobie NelFebruary 6, 2025 The actions of Donald Trump, the US President, have been making headlines. During his first two weeks in office, one of his primary focuses was rescinding DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) policies in the United States. Shockingly, Trump blamed DEI appointments for a tragic aviationdisaster involving a Blackhawk military helicopter and…