No more “Boers” allowed in the workplace!?
Racial tension and animosity are amongst the many social ills that form part of South Africa’s apartheid legacy. Eradicating these problems is made no easier...
Tag: Defamation
#sorrynotsorry: No freedom to falsely criticise your employer in the media
In the matter of Joseph Nzimande and two others v Didben NO and Others, the applicants were dismissed for making false statements to the media,...
The politics of defamation
The events that unfolded in the case of Herman Mashaba v Parks Tau and others [case number 38409/2016] in the judgment delivered on 8 February...
Reporting a suspected crime? You best have a reasonable suspicion
In the recent High Court case of Sekitle Wesley Mashedi v Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development and Another (Case No: 63889/2013), Judge Khumalo of...
Warning employers – Liability for hate speech on social media
In order to uphold and safeguard the constitutionally entrenched rights of equality and dignity, the South African legislature has recently promulgated the Prevention and Combatting of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill, 2018 (“the Bill”). The Bill has not yet been…
Provided By Eversheds Sutherland
What are the legal implications of your company’s social media use?
Reputations have been ruined on social media. Recently there has been an upsurge in the number of businesses, educational institutions, government officials and private citizens...
by LexisNexis
Social media and company reputation: Way out?
We exist in a new era of consumer activism: comments made by consumers, customers, former employees or just those with strong opinions about a company...
Getting into the (IP) Zone – Herbal Zone v Infitech
The recent case of Herbal Zone v Infitech Technologies [1] is a cautionary tale for product manufacturers or importers who are careless about their intellectual...
Bite your tongue! Is evidence given before the CCMA privileged?
Witnesses giving evidence before the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (“CCMA”) should take care when making statements that may expose them to defamation claims.
This...
Social media policy for the workplace
There can be many serious consequences to your employees’ posts on social media. We frequently hear of copyright infringement, defamation, harassment and breach of confidentiality,...
Social media and employment – The new business risk
The various incidents in the past few months of racism on social media have highlighted the dangers of social media use and abuse. It has...
#Yourefired: Dismissals of employees due to social media usage
Inappropriate, insensitive and racist content posted by social media users has been the topic of conversation for the past few weeks as South African society...
6 things your social media policy should deal with
There are two very good reasons your company should have a social media policy:
1. To protect your company’s brand and reputation
Your employees are inevitably associated...
Social media and defamation
Social media use has led to numerous law suits both in South Africa and abroad. In the UK, Chris Cairns, a New Zealand cricketer, won...
Social media in the workplace – Employment relations
The use of social media in society is becoming increasingly prevalent and while there are many benefits, social media usage complicates employment relations and, in...
The legal impact of social media networks – International trends
Social media cannot be ignored.
There has been a rapid proliferation of social media channels for corporate communication and an increasing number of public companies are...
The privacy risks of social media
We see more and more employees getting into trouble for posts they upload on social media. The question is; are employees then not entitled to...
