Domestic workers will be covered under the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (Coida). This is after the government gazetted new regulations.
The changes were officially introduced in March, and mean that domestic workers are now covered for any illness or injuries incurred at work.
The Act also provides details on the types of compensation that will be paid and which illnesses and injuries are covered.
A director in Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr’s employment practice, Jose Jorge, told Businesstech that this means that all employers of domestic workers, whether full-time or part-time, will have to register themselves and their employees with the Compensation Commissioner.
In an interview with Cape Talk, Jorge said that this includes any workers around the home such as gardeners. Employees will have to be registered within seven days of signing an employment contract.
In the event that an employee has already signed a contract, that employee needs to be registered as soon as possible.
No deadline for registering employees has been set as of yet, but employers are encouraged to register their employees as soon as possible. Jorge said that penalties for non-registration will likely kick in from the end of March 2022.
On pages 12-16 of the gazette it details which forms are required.
The documents required are as follows:
- Proof of your residential address;
- Completed CF-1E form;
- A copy of your employee’s ID, passport or work permit;
- A copy of your ID, passport or work permit;
- A copy of the employment contract.
These documents must be sent via email to RegistrationCF@labour.gov.za or CFCallcentre@labour.gov.za, where employers must request to be registered as a domestic employer.
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