09/06/2026
โ๏ธ ๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐ง ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐จ ๐๐ข๐๐ค ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ค โ๏ธ
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฒ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ค ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฒ
The recent reports surrounding the death of Cartrack employee ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐ฅ๐๐๐ก๐ฅ๐ have caused understandable public concern and outrage.
At this stage, there are still ๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ in the media.
Her family and colleagues allege that she was unwell, had submitted sick notes, complained of extreme fatigue, and was still expected to report for duty.
Cartrack has disputed key aspects of that version and has stated, according to media reports, that she was not denied sick leave, did not appear unwell when she reported for work, and that emergency assistance was provided when the seriousness of the situation became apparent.
โ ๏ธ ๐๐จ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ฆ๐๐๐.
The matter is reportedly under police investigation, and it would be irresponsible to make findings about what happened before the facts have been established.
But even without deciding the facts of this specific case, this tragedy raises critical lessons for employers.
๐น ๐๐ข๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ง ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐.
Yes, employers may manage absenteeism.
Yes, employees must follow workplace procedures.
Yes, medical certificates may be required in certain circumstances.
But where an employee says, โI am too sick to work,โ the first question should not automatically be:
โ โHow do we discipline this?โ
It should be:
โ
โIs this employee medically fit to work?โ
โ
โDo we have enough information to deal with this fairly?โ
โ
โIs there any health or safety risk?โ
โ
โDoes this require medical attention, incapacity management, or emergency escalation?โ
๐น ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ.
Employers do not have to accept every absence blindly.
Suspicious patterns, altered certificates, vague certificates, fraudulent certificates, or conduct that contradicts alleged incapacity may be investigated.
But where an employee has submitted a proper medical certificate, the employer must tread very carefully before issuing warnings or threatening dismissal for that absence.
The employer must ask:
โ๏ธ Is this misconduct?
โ๏ธ Is this incapacity?
โ๏ธ Is this operational disruption?
โ๏ธ Is this a health-and-safety issue?
Those are ๐ง๐จ๐ญ the same thing.
๐น ๐๐จ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ฐ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ โ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก.โ
Managers are not doctors.
A manager should not diagnose an employee, dismiss symptoms as exaggeration, or decide that the employee is โfineโ simply because the business needs them at work.
Instead, managers should ask practical questions:
๐ฉบ Are you able to perform your duties safely today?
๐ฉบ Do you need medical attention?
๐ฉบ Do you need to go home?
๐ฉบ Is there anyone we should contact for you?
๐ฉบ Do we need to arrange assistance?
The employer does not need the employeeโs full medical history.
But the employer ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ need to know whether the employee is fit for duty and whether there is an immediate risk.
๐น ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ-๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐๐ญ.
Misconduct involves blameworthy behaviour.
Ill-health incapacity involves an employee who may be unable to work, or unable to work consistently, because of a medical condition.
Employers may still manage the situation. They are not expected to tolerate indefinite or unexplained absence without recourse.
But the process is different.
It may require consultation, medical information, consideration of alternatives, reasonable accommodation where appropriate, and an assessment of whether the employee can continue performing the role.
Treating genuine medical incapacity as misconduct is where employers often get into trouble.
๐น ๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ.
If an employee collapses or appears seriously ill at work, the employerโs response must be immediate, practical, and documented.
There should be no confusion about:
๐ Who calls emergency services
๐ Who contacts security
๐ Who contacts the employeeโs family
๐ Who performs first aid
๐ Who records the incident
๐ Who documents the emergency response timeline
In a medical emergency, the first priority is preserving life.
Administrative questions can wait.
๐น ๐๐จ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐.
Employers should keep proper records of sick leave applications, medical certificates, counselling, warnings, attendance discussions, employee complaints of illness, offers of assistance, emergency calls, first-aider involvement, ambulance arrival times, incident reports, and witness statements.
Good documentation protects an employer who acted correctly.
Poor documentation creates uncertainty, suspicion, and risk.
๐น ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฌ.
A legally sound employer can still require proper notification, medical proof, leave applications, and honest communication.
But those requirements must be applied with humanity and judgment.
You can be firm ๐๐ง๐ fair.
You can follow policy ๐๐ง๐ show compassion.
You can manage absenteeism ๐๐ง๐ take illness seriously.
You can protect the business ๐๐ง๐ protect the person.
The safest approach is simple:
โ
Take illness seriously.
โ
Do not discipline before understanding the medical context.
โ
Do not force attendance where the employee may be unfit.
โ
Do not let managers make medical judgments.
โ
Do not delay emergency assistance.
โ
Document everything.
A workplace can be firm, fair, productive, and humane.
In situations involving employee illness, it has to be all four.
๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ
Practical HR & Labour Relations Support
www.engagehcs.co.za
