The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) pays permanent social grants to over 18 million people each month. A recent update to its payment system requires beneficiaries to take action to ensure continued access to their grants.

There is a fallacious belief that hiring staff on the basis of a fixed-term contract will make life easier for the employer. This is often not the case, especially when the employer wants to end the employment relationship before the contract’s expiry date. Companies may have various reasons for wanting to terminate such contracts prematurely. For example, during a retrenchment exercise, the employer may need to terminate all temporary contracts so that it may give preference to saving the jobs of the permanent employees.

The war for talent is raging, and South African companies are facing a stark choice: transform the office into a must-visit destination or watch their best people want to stay home.