Nevertheless, affected employees are not happy with the withdrawal. As a result, the PSA said it has registered an item at a National Consultative Forum (NCF) to discuss the matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A key issue it wants to address is that “it remains unclear how EVP elements are structured and integrated,” it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The PSA said it requested that SARS make a presentation on the EVP, covering the following areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Integration of benefits under the EVP umbrella<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Anticipated timelines or implementation phases<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Alignment of the EVP with reward, recognition, and retention strategies<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Alignment with SARS\u2019 broader reward and retention strategies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
“A meeting of the NCF took place on 27 October 2025, and the employer failed to make the presentation,” it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The PSA has registered the Union\u2019s dissatisfaction with the failure by SARS to make a presentation on the EVP, and the PSA anticipates a presentation in the next NCF.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BusinessTech asked SARS for comment about the withdrawal of the work-from-home initiative and to confirm timelines, possible exemptions and other standing policies, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In its annual report, published on 31 October, the group said it “remains committed to finding the best balance between employee and taxpayer\/trader experience.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It added that it is “refining its EVP” to prioritise a conducive working environment and continuous career development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SARS’ Employee Value Proposition (2024\/25)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/SARS-EVP.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nEnding work from home in South Africa<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
SARS is not unique in terminating work-from-home initiatives in South Africa, as many companies have started drawing workers back to the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the Covid-19 pandemic rooted work-from-home into the largely corporate work culture, the shift did not end up as permanent as most had expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Employers, seeing the benefit of closer in-person collaboration and needing to better manage productivity and align working hours, have steadily been breaking down the trend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Various big-name corporates in the banking, insurance and administration space gradually shifted from work-from-home to hybrid-work structures. This saw employees return to the office for a couple of days a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This also evolved over time from a couple of days a week to almost a full week back at the office. Some eventually moved back to full-time office work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to legal experts, ending work-from-home policies isn’t necessarily illegal or in contravention of labour laws, but this comes with several caveats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Notably, there is no specific provision for remote work in South Africa\u2019s labour laws, including the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) and the Labour Relations Act (LRA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, provisions for remote work, hybrid work and virtual work are determined when negotiating and signing contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If employers have negotiated working conditions that facilitate remote or hybrid work, they cannot unilaterally change these without renegotiating with employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, South Africa has standing rulings from the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) and the Labour Court that require that ending such policies needs to be reasonable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This means return-to-office orders can’t be given without any substantiated or pressing reason for the termination of the remote work agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For most employers, the warning is that any change to work structure or policy requires ongoing engagement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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