UCT to effect revised policy on employment equity
25 January 2021
The University of Cape Town (UCT) will press the reset button on employment equity (EE) on 1 February 2021, when the revised Policy on Employment Equity comes into effect following Council’s approval last month.
This policy sets out clear principles that underpin decision making that affects people in the workplace.
Read the revised UCT Policy on Employment Equity.
UCT Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Transformation, Professor Loretta Feris, said: “The revised policy enables the institution to enter the new year with a fresh approach to EE implementation, by providing clear definitions of key concepts; encapsulating the key principles that are embedded in EE legislation; and covering EE implementation guidelines at every stage of an employee’s life cycle in the organisation, including a dispute resolution mechanism for interpreting UCT’s EE plan.”
This revised policy goes into much more detail than the previous two-page document.
“Through its 14 pages, UCT clearly articulates our strong commitment to staff transformation and their professional development. Similarly, we strengthen and encourage our students to consider UCT as their employer of choice by accelerating the academic pipeline from our pool of exceptional graduates and researchers. The EE policy renews UCT’s commitment to redress, restoring dignity and social justice,” said Feris.
Human Resources Practice Notes are being developed to aid in the implementation of this policy, followed by training for managers and employment equity representatives on the new policy.
Shaping the direction of the new policy was the culmination of 18 months of consultation with various stakeholders.
The annually published Employment Equity Report to the government provides some indication of UCT’s progress in implementing EE in the workplace. The most recent report covers the period from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020.
It is essentially a progress report on the university’s three-year EE plan, which was approved by the Department of Employment and Labour in March 2019. At that time, UCT had identified 12 of 23 possible categories as barriers to EE in the workplace. So far, three of those 12 barriers have been sufficiently addressed, with affirmative action measures put in place during the reporting period. These are reflected in how UCT advertises positions, the selection criteria used and disciplinary measures followed. The other barriers we identified are still being addressed.
Read the 2020 UCT Employment Equity Report.
“While the global challenges of 2020 have slowed the implementation of affirmative action measures and hindered the general recruitment process at UCT, we nevertheless remain committed to addressing all the EE barriers we have identified. The newly revised EE policy is tangible evidence of our commitment to this important progress. It will help to keep us moving forward at a steady and productive pace towards achieving UCT’s EE goals,” concluded Feris.
Issued by Elijah Moholola, Senior Manager: Media Liaison and Social Media, Communication and Marketing Department, University of Cape Town, 25 January 2021
