A nation-wide inspection of employment equity (EE) compliance in companies will be conducted by the national department of Labour, the department said on Saturday.

"The inspections will start in the Free State from next week (August 7) and move around the country," said department spokesperson Mokgadi Pela.

The "blitz" scheduled from Monday until Friday, will target employers with 50 or more workers as well as those with an annual turnover of R2-million in the financial sector.

Particular attention will be paid to:

— Determining whether employers have submitted EE reports from last year's October 1 deadline and if copies of those reports were available at the workplace.
— Ensuring that employers have representative EE consultative forums at their workplaces and if minutes are kept.
— Establishing stakeholders' levels of awareness and understanding of EE matters in the workplace.
— Monitoring general compliance of employers with the legislation.

The inspections precede September's submission period of EE reports by employers.

Penalties for non-compliance include a fine of up to R500 000 depending on the nature of the violation, Pela said.

Sapa

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