Legal updates and opinions
News / News
False workplace racism allegations increasingly punished by courts
The problem of being accused of racism, when the allegation is untrue, is starting to come to the fore and increasingly tested by our legal system.
Race and racism is such a sensitive issue and the consequences of being labelled a racist can be far-reaching. A perpetrator can face dismissal by their employer, whether the racist conduct was committed in the workplace or even outside of it, face criminal charges and action can be taken in the equality courts.
In the context of the workplace, there have been a growing number of instances in which employers have had to deal with false allegations of racism. They have had to consider what to do with an employee who has made this allegation, either maliciously, or even carelessly, against a colleague.
But playing the race card, colloquially speaking, is now increasingly being recognised as a material misconduct on the part of an employee and has been recognised even by the Labour Appeal Court as justifying dismissal of the employee who made the unfounded allegation.
Employers should recognise that any allegations of racist conduct must be carefully investigated, with the due interests of the accused as well as the person making the allegation taken into account.
Whoever has acted improperly in the matter – whether it be the person who actually acted in a racist manner, of the person who made the allegation maliciously to smear the other’s reputation, or where no reasonable grounds to found the allegation exist – must bear the consequences. Genuine racism is deservedly being systematically rooted out in all aspects of our society, not least in the workplace, in order to try and move away from the injustices of the past, and towards a more egalitarian society.
Latest News
Bafana Bafana’s World Cup qualification hanging by a thread
by Brendan Olivier, Director and Daniel Gewer, Candidate Attorney Bafana Bafana's prospects of taking to the field at next year's [...]
ESG, the key to sustaining the construction sector?
by Justin Duarte, Candidate Attorney, reviewed by Natalie Scott, Director and Head of Sustainability and Jennifer Smit, Director and Head [...]
SME cashflow threats: ensuring that your security offers a protection against payment default
by Brendan Olivier, Director It's becoming all-too-common: an SME that provides goods and services on credit to a major supplier [...]
SME cashflow threats: ensuring that your contracts are worth more than the paper they are written on
by Brendan Olivier, Director When a key commercial supplier, or valued customer that is benefiting from long-standing payment terms and [...]
The Road Ahead: The SCA Gives Green Light to Vehicle Lenders “On the Road Fees” Under the NCA – Subject to Strict Disclosure Requirements
by Armand Swart, Director In a recent judgment, the Supreme Court of Appeal ("SCA") considered if, in terms of the [...]
You can’t have it both ways: Contractors who act like businesses must live with the consequences
by Bradley Workman-Davies, Director When you run your work as a business, invoice for your services, and elect to [...]