Noted Mr. Mila.
However, this is my perspective, and note that, I also have worked overseas, and the remarks made by people in NZ for example... they are always taken aback at how bosses, especially in SA, treat employees in SA.
There is a grey zone in the employment sector... i.e. this grey zone is occupied by employees who earn above the low average, aren't interested in a union and the BCEA doesn't really apply to them. This is NOT the management zone, that is a different kettle of fish...
This grey zone gets exploited to avoid paying people overtime, so basically they make you stay, after work, and there's f0kkol you can do about it. These are generally employees like software developers on the low end of the scale, technicians, and electronic engineers.
I have worked, about 450 hours of overtime over the last 5 years, none of which has been compensated for. They always say in the employment contract "days off" but when you ask for days off, its like asking for a pound of flesh.
Bosses in SA, are usually the wrong person for the job, approximately 68 percent are arseholes (and this generally means incorrect personality type and mental instability) and the first line of exploitation they take is to assume "work is hard to find out there and the employee will sit and take my crap and I can do what I want BECAUSE I AM THE BOSS, all hail me". My last boss worked on that assumption, but I had the pleasure of giving him a blood nose by telling him to take his job and go f**k himself.
Another thing that also contributes to people getting depression is the fact that the CCMA is pretty useless... as we found out last year. These bosses have the money to bring in their uber expensive labour lawyers at the CCMA hearings and make a mockery of the proceedings, basically you get nothing out... because these guys know all the loopholes and they bamboozle the commissioner.
Most people in this grey zone hate their jobs in SA (myself included- although, see explanation below) because of the crap they have to deal with:
* 6 % or less increases year on year
* Being managed by an arsehole
* Favouritsm in the workplace, and foul play
* Inability to take leave, because applying for leave, is like asking for a pound of flesh.
As for me, I left electronics because I couldn't handle the arsehole bosses anymore. So when I took my first job as a software developer, I did a very very careful analysis of the company, how they treat their people, etc... They were getting a bit irritated with me holding them on a line but I am glad I did. My boss is not an arsehole, nor are my co-workers. Asking for leave is a breeze, and I am finally now able to get my life back.
