The Employment Equity Act, No 55 of 1998 forms part of the transformation legislation aimed at promoting equity and eliminating discriminatory and unfair treatment in the workplace. This Act was promulgated more than ten years ago, and its positive impact has to be measured in terms of its contribution to the conduciveness of the work environment. The aim of this study is to enhance measures for effective implementation of an Employment Equity Programme (EEP) in the Public Service, with specific reference to the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. The ultimate aim is to identify Employment Equity (EE) measures that will benefit management and employees in enhancing individual performance and productivity. The study focuses on perceptions of employees on how they perceive EEP. As the study progressed it became equally important to determine the alignment and contribution of EEP on Departmental strategic objectives. The results and recommendations will be shared with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development with a view to ensuring that its EEP is aligned to its strategic objectives, and adds value to service delivery. / Public Administration and Management / M.P.A.

M. Tech. (Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / This study noted the implications of the absence of a strategic framework to manage the career mobility of employees with disabilities in the Gauteng-based, state-owned enterprise (SOE). In response to the limited research on career mobility of employees with disabilities (EwDs), the study aimed to investigate EwDs understanding of the phenomenon, identify its enablers and inhibitors, as well as propose a strategic framework for managing it. The study is significant for the inclusion of EwDs and contributing to employers achieving employment equity targets, as required of them by the Employment Equity Act (55 of 1998). In order to achieve the study’s objectives, an exploratory design was employed by conducting individual interviews with five purposively selected participants on junior management levels. A semi-structured interview schedule was developed and piloted with two champions who represent the interests of EwDs in disability forums within the SOE. Given the prevailing circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, the researcher collected the data online via Microsoft Teams (MS Teams). The data were analysed manually for emerging themes using Braun and Clarke’s six steps of data analysis. The study found that career mobility was understood by participants to include promotion (job change), succession planning and gainful employment supported by opportunities for skills transfer and reasonable accommodation. Factors identified as enablers of career mobility are training and career development, disability awareness and sensitisation, reasonable accommodation, social networks and benchmarking. Those factors perceived as inhibiting career mobility are mind-set, inaccessible training, lack of confidence and poor succession planning. Through conversations with the participants, the researcher identified critical components for the development of a strategic framework to enhance career mobility for EwDs as organisational diagnostics (input factor), enabling policies and support systems (process factors) and inclusion and career mobility evident in employment equity targets being met (outcomes) to manage career mobility of EwDs in the workplace. The main limitations of the study are that the results cannot be generalised to other settings without validation of the proposed strategic framework due to the sample size involved. It is recommended that future studies consider sensitivity regarding the prevailing circumstances around research during periods of pandemics and the use of language in the field of disability research. It is further recommended that employers consider implementing benchmarked disability awareness and sensitisation programmes to create a conducive environment for EwDs to achieve career mobility in the workplace. Lastly, employers should develop and implement programmes that will enhance mental health and well-being of EwDs and consider the establishment of empowered disability forums.

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The relevance of employment equity has been widely debated. This study is of the view that affirmative action is the core factor in realising compliance to and implementation of employment equity. The study was aimed at investigating why Tygerberg Hospital has not complied with the implementation of the Employment Equity Act (EEA) No 55 of 1998 specifically with regards to the field of Dietetics. Research questions have been formulated, relying on literature which includes guiding legislation and policies. Recruitment and selection processes applicable to the dietetic department were analysed and linked with the consulted literature. Role of transformation in transforming the institution was part of the study to ascertain the scope of transformation in managing diversity within Tygerberg Hospital. A combination of data collection tools was used in the study, including interviews and questionnaires to better understand the underlying reasons of non-compliance. The fundamental findings of the study showed that even though policies and legislation had been formulated, there are underlying issues to be addressed by the institution, such as language barriers and personal perceptions of the institution which could subsequently be improved through effective diversity management strategies. It is recommended that the institution will have to come up with a short-term, measurable plan to ensure compliance such as an institutional employment equity plan, appointment of a transformational officer who will focus on managing the institutional diversity management, and an internal capacity building unit to carry out institutional training and development as opposed to the current system. To ensure monitoring and evaluation compliance on employment equity, it is recommended that the responsibility be linked to the performance plan of the senior managers as well as the line manager of the dietetic department. By so doing failure to comply will result in a poor performance assessment outcome of the delegated authority, compliance enforced through departmental disciplinary procedures. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die toepaslikheid van billike indiensneming is al wyd gedebatteer. Hierdie studie is die mening toegedaan dat regstellende aksie die kern faktor is om nakoming van en die implementering van billike indiensneming te bereik. Die studie was daarop gemik om ondersoek in te stel waarom Tygerberg Hospitaal nie voldoen het aan die implementering van die Indiensneming Gelykheids Wet No 55 van 1998 nie, spesifiek met betrekking tot die veld van Dieetkunde. Vrae in die navorsing was geformuleer, gebasseer op literature wat rigtinggewende wetgewing en beleid insluit. Werwing en seleksie prosesse van toepassing in die Dieetkunde Departement was ontleed en gekoppel aan die toepaslike literatuur. Die rol van transformasie in die transformering van die inrigting het deel uitgemaak van die studie om die omvang van transformasie te bepaal, rakende die bestuur van diversiteit binne Tygerberg Hospitaal. ‘n Kombinasie van data versameling metodes was in die studie gebruik. Dit het onderhoude en vraelyste ingesluit om die onderliggende redes vir nie-nakoming te verstaan. Die fundamentele bevindinge van die studie het getoon dat ongeag die feit dat beleid en wetgewing geformuleer was, daar onderliggende aspekte was wat by die inrigting aangespreek moet word, soos taal-hindernisse en persoonlike persepsie oor die inrigting en wat gevolglik verbeter kan word by wyse van ‘n effektiewe uiteenlopende bestuursstrategie. Dit word aanbeveel dat die inrigting navore moet kom met ‘n kort-termyn en meetbare plan ter versekering van ‘n institusionele billikheidsindiensneming plan, die indiensneming van ‘n Transformasie Beampte wat sal fokus op bestuur van die inrigting se diversiteit en ‘n interne eenheid om die vermoë van die inrigting se opleiding en ontwikkeling uit te voer in teenstelling met die huidige sisteem. Om monitoring en evaluasie van billike indiensneming te verseker, word dit aanbeveel dat dié verantwoordelikheid gekoppel word aan die werkverrigtingsplan van Senior Bestuurders asook dié van Lynbestuurders van die Dieetkundige Departement. Mislukking om hieraan te voldoen sal lei tot ‘n swak werkverrigting evaluering resultaat van die aangewese outoriteit. Voldoening hieraan sal afgedwing moet word deur departementele dissiplinêre prosedures.