As the popular old song has it “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” – a time of family togetherness and celebration, and a great opportunity to think about whether you really have provided as best you can for your loved ones’ wellbeing after you are gone.

We share two particular questions you should ask yourself right now, with a discussion around how important it is to structure your estate plan so as to address the potential problem areas in question.

Media reports of the recent High Court decision on “parental leave” – declaring unconstitutional provisions in two Acts that resulted in different sets of parents being treated differently when it comes to leave – have tended to be long on the “why” of the decision but not so informative on the “how it will work in practice” aspect.

Read on for our simple summary of how these new provisions will actually affect different categories of parent and their employers, with a final note on how a UIF claim might help employees whose leave is unpaid rather than paid.

There’s a huge temptation for unscrupulous job seekers desperate for employment, and existing employees desperate for promotion, to fake their qualifications. The danger to an employer of employing someone like that is obvious.

We suggest an action plan for employers duped or nearly duped by falsified credentials, with particular reference to the new category of “qualifications fraud” criminal offences. We end off by sharing the story of a “fake degree” employee whose provident fund savings (normally safe from creditors) are forfeit to his employer.  

“Subpoena duces tecum”

This is a court order for the person named in it to produce a document or other form of physical evidence at a trial or hearing – literally it means “under threat of penalty, bring [specified] with you”.

If you should ever be presented with such a subpoena and have any doubt over whether you can comply, should comply, or have enough time to comply, ask your lawyer for advice as a matter of urgency – this is a serious document!