Protection for more employees as earnings threshold rises

The earnings threshold will expand the pool of "protected" employees when it increases on 1 April.

- Ina Opperman

The statutory earnings threshold will increase to R261 748.45 a year, representing a R7 376.78 increase from the current threshold of R254 371.67.

The earnings threshold is a determination in terms of section 6(3) of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.

If you earn a salary that falls below this earnings threshold, certain provisions of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Labour Relations Act and Employment Equity Act apply to you.

The purpose of the earnings threshold is to ensure greater protection for more vulnerable employees earning below a specified income, according to legal experts Kate Collier, Brett Abraham and Jamie Jacobs at law firm Webber Wentzel.

They point out that protections include sections of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) regulating ordinary hours of work, overtime, meal intervals, daily and weekly rest periods, Sunday pay, night work pay and public holiday.