Question NW3533 to the Minister of Public Works
04 December 2017 - NW3533
Dreyer, Ms AM to ask the Minister of Public Works
(a) What are the details of the procedures currently employed by his department when employees apply for and are granted leave (b) are manual or automated systems used and (c) what procedures are in place to ensure that all leave taken by employees is captured and granted timeously?
Reply:
a) The Determination and Directive on Leave of Absence in the Public Service as prescribed by the Department of Public Service and Administration is utilised. An employee must submit his/her application for annual leave in advance, unless unforeseen circumstances prevent him/her from doing so. If confronted with unforeseen circumstances which necessitate the utilization of annual leave, the employee must personally notify his/her supervisor/manager immediately. A verbal message to the supervisor/manager by a relative, fellow employee or friend is only acceptable if the nature and/or extent of the unforeseen circumstances prevents the employee from informing the supervisor/manager personally.
An employee must submit an application for annual leave personally or through a relative, fellow employee within 5 working days after the first day of absence. If the employee fails to submit the application on time or compelling reasons why an application cannot be submitted, the supervisor/manager must immediately notify the employee that if such application is not received within 2 working days, the leave period will be regarded as unpaid leave; and inform the Human Resource division.
Should the employee default on the notification the relevant authority shall approve such absence as unpaid leave. The employee’s supervisor/manager/ Head of Department and/or his/her delegate must within two working days from receipt of the leave application form recommend/not recommend and/or approve/disapprove this leave application and submit to the relevant Human Resource division in the department.
b) Manual system for submission of leave is utilised. The capturing of leave and the management of leave credits are done on PERSAL (Personnel and Salary Administration System).
c) Each Unit has a leave administrator that submit on a weekly basis leave forms to HR with a leave register. HR checks the leave forms and registers as well as the leave captured for compliance with the relevant legislation. Reminders to submit leave timeous to HR are send every quarter to the whole Department to ensure that the system is always updated. Units that submit leave late are informed and repeat offenders are reported to Branch Heads. Disciplinary action can in terms of the Determination and Directive on Leave of Absence be taken against the employee and manager.