The government’s policy on gender discrimination is dealt with in the following ways:

Employers must give workers certain details of their employment in writing. This contract must be kept for 3 years after termination.

There are a great deal of acts governing Domestic workers provisioned by the South African government, here are a few that might be pertinent to you.

Signing a contract is always something that takes careful consideration. This is even truer when entering into a professional employment relationship.

Sexual harassment is defined as being unwanted conduct of a sexual nature. The unwanted nature of this type of harassment distinguishes it from behaviour that is welcome and mutual.

Racial harassment is behaviour that is racially discriminatory, upsetting or hateful and is either recurring or serious enough to have a negative effect on a person.

Harassment occurs in many forms, but the most common in South Africa, is sexual and racial harassment or discrimination. The usual targets are women who are in junior positions or who have been recently employed. The perpetrators are usually people of power or authority in the workplace, who abuse their positions.

The line between sex, consensual and non consensual, rape and sexual harassment have been stretched so thin that there is a lot of confusion. If you give consent to sexual intercourse and later change your mind can this be regarded as rape? If you are married can you charge your spouse with rape? Sleeping with a minor that has given you consent is this rape?

Employees may find themselves required to appear in a disciplinary hearing for alleged misconduct. An employee may be suspended on full pay pending a hearing especially when the employee’s presence at the workplace may jeopardize any investigation.

Harassment is not a trivial issue at the workplace, as it impacts negatively on the productivity of an organisation.