South Africa\u2019s Basic Conditions of Employment Act states that employees are entitled to rest periods, and bosses cannot force them to answer WhatsApp work group messages outside of their working hours.<\/p>\n
According to a report in the Sunday Times, South Africans are coming under increased pressure from work due to WhatsApp work groups \u2013 which require them to respond to and act on any messages sent by colleagues or superiors.<\/p>\n
The Sunday Times reported that\u00a0a\u00a0\u201cgeneral manager of a national firm\u201d said his\u00a0staff were issued warning letters if they failed to respond to a WhatsApp message or did not follow an instruction.<\/p>\n
As\u00a0the company provided the cellphone and data, it was a requirement \u2013 and was included in their employment contracts.<\/p>\n
Norton Rose Fulbright lawyer Joe Mothibi said it is illegal for a boss to demand around-the-clock attention from employees, though.<\/p>\n
He said an employer \u201ccouldn\u2019t expect an employee to be available at their beck and call 24\/7\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t say I have to be on my WhatsApp answering instructions [during my rest].\u00a0I cannot be expected to take instructions outside my core hours unless of course there are emergencies,\u201d said Mothibi.<\/p>\n
The report also quoted a\u00a0Durban public relations practitioner, who was told that participation in her work\u2019s WhatsApp group was non-negotiable.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt stresses me. I tried to mute it but I then have anxiety because I am afraid to miss a message,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Other employees complained of waking up in the morning to hundreds of notifications from work groups.<\/p>\n
The full report is in the Sunday Times of 26 June 2016.<\/em><\/p>\n 5 silly social media mistakes that can ruin your business<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Your boss can fire you for social media posts<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nMore on social media<\/h3>\n