Workplace Discipline and the Importance of its Consistent Application

Many employers have found themselves on the receiving end of CCMA or Labour Court orders compelling them to reinstate employees who have been dismissed due to inconsistent application of workplace discipline.

The effect of a reinstatement award is that the employee returns to work as if there was no break in service and may be entitled to receive “backpay” for the period when he was out of work, which could be months or even years.

It can thus be a costly exercise for the employer, resulting from a mistake that could easily have been avoided.