A strategic approach to managing the organization's employees to maximize their performance and achieve business objectives. The section is made up of the following sub-sections, namely, HR Administration, Organisational Development/ Change management & Skills Development, Labour Relations, EAP, Occupational Clinic and Individual Performance Management (IPMS).

Human Resources Administration

Objectives of the unit

The main function of the Human Resources Administration unit is to ensure compliance with the Municipal Staff Regulations, Bargaining Council directives, Conditions of Service issues as well as the implementation of Council Resolutions and application of legislative imperatives in so far as recruitment, selection and handling employee affairs is concerned. This unit is further responsible for the maintenance of staff records on the Human Resource Information system.

Main functions and activities of the unit

•  Provision of support to departments and employees;
•  Implementation of legislative imperatives;
• Implementation of Collective Agreements on Conditions of Service;
• Implementation of an integrated recruitment and selection process;
• Development of policies, procedures and guidelines;
• Ensure Council’s compliance with the Employment Equity Act (EEA);
• Creation of an enabling environment through various awareness programmes;
• Development of a workplace strategy in order to mainstream issues relating to gender, youth and employees living with disabilities;
•  Exit Management;
• Diversity Management, and;
• Statutory reporting

Organisational Development/ Change Management & Skills Development

The vision of the Training and Development Unit is to ensure that Council has a skilled and capable workforce to support inclusive growth and development of skills within the City.

This is achieved through the co-ordination and provision of quality assured skills development interventions for Council employees to ensure that they function at an optimal level thus contributing to effective and efficient service delivery.

Developing the skills of Council employees, Interns and Councillors is achieved through relevant training interventions and sustainable development initiatives that cascade skills to all occupational categories on all levels within the organisation.

The Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) serves as the strategic document that gives direction to training and development within the Municipality. The WSP is aligned to the National Skills Development Strategy, the Skills Development Act No. 97 of 1998 as well as the Skills Levies Act No. 09 of 1999. The WSP and Annual Training Report (ATR) are submitted annually to the LGSETA. Submission of these reports ensures that the Municipality receives its Mandatory Grant from the LGSETA.

Organisational Development and Change Management

Review of the municipal organogram

In terms of the Key Performance Area of the Organisational Development and Change Management unit, as contained in the Performance Plan of the Deputy City Manager: Corporate Services, the Organisational structure must be reviewed annually in order to maintain an organisational structure that is in line with organisational objectives and optimises service delivery.

During the reporting period, the City of uMhlathuze was in the process of reviewing its organogram with a view to aligning it to its Integrated Development Plan (IDP), budget and services delivery programs.

This process was internally-driven in the main wherein the Deputy City Managers reviewed their Departmental Organograms.

Organisational Development and Change Management

• Organisational Development - aligning the structure of the organisation with its objectives,

• Change Management – managing change and related transitions in the organization

• Conducting productivity and continuous improvement processes - Efficiency studies, Utilisation studies and Feasibility studies.

• Conducting Business process re-engineering - Cause and effect studies; Process analysis and Process improvement and workflow analysis.

• Conduct job evaluation and descriptions function.

Labour Relations

Labour Relations Unit is responsible for ensuring compliance with labour legislation, facilitating collective bargaining and managing disputes between the municipality and its employees, including trade unions. The Unit is responsible for developing and implementing Labour Policies. Provide support for discipline, grievances, incapacity. Train management on labour law to foster fair practices, industrial peace, and good employer employee relations.

• The management of Municipal labour relations between the employer and the employees is addressed for the purpose of providing effective and efficient services within the municipal area of jurisdiction which is governed by labour legislation e.g. labour Relations Act 66 of 1995, Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997, Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, skills development Act 97 of 1998, Skills Development Levies Act 9 of 1999, Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 and Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act 130 of 1993.

• One of the key functions of the Labour Relations Section is to conduct induction programmes to new and old employees within the municipality.

• Capacitating Management Representatives on the application and interpretation of policies and agreements, in the long run thus ensuring proper function of Council,

• developing policies on recruitment, performance management, and grievance procedures; managing collective agreements through the South African Local Government Bargaining Council;

• Labour Relations co-ordinates frequent meetings with Organised Labour to keep abreast with internal labour related developments within the sector and in particular the Municipality and

• Facilitate Local Labour Forum (LLF) meetings.

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

The EAP section’s core function is to promote and enhance employees’ health and wellbeing of all employees in the organisation. The main aim is to help improve employees work performance and service delivery.

This section’s responsibility is to:

• Improve the quality of life of all employees and their immediate families by providing support and helping to alleviate the impact of everyday work, personal and family challenges.

• Provide constructive assistance in the form of confidential counselling and referral to every employee who experiences personal as well as work related challenges

• Aligning the EAP strategy to the municipal IDP objectives;

• Promotion of EAP services to all staff of the City of uMhlathuze;

• Training of Managers and Supervisors on EAP referral procedures, i. e. identification, confrontation and referral;

• Conduct proactive helping programmes and workshops to all staff members

• Confidential assessment of employees’ personal and work challenges;

• Identification of employees’ behavioural problems bases on job performance issues;

• Intervention with employees regarding performance issues;

• Provision of expert consultation to supervisors, managers and labour on how to take appropriate steps in utilising the employee assistance policy and procedures;

• Assist with short term counselling and case management;

• Provision of life skills, awareness and educational programmes promoting healthy lifestyles and coping skills; and

• Referral and follow up services.

Occupational Clinic Services

The Occupational Clinic is located in Alton Service Centre and responsible for the Health and Safety of the uMhlathuze Municipality employees. The Occupational Health Nurse Practitioners and a part time Medical Practitioner are responsible for this clinic.

This section’s responsibility is to:

• Conduct pre-employment medical exams to the newly employed;

• Conduct periodical medical exams to all municipal employees including Executives;

• Manage exit medical exams for employees leaving the organisation;

• Conduct health evaluation after the employee has been boarded;

• Provide medical support to the employees, including direct care, assessment and management of minor ailments;

• Monitor employees with chronic conditions;

• Assessment of employees following sick leave;

• Inspection of the First Aid Boxes;

• Attend to Injuries on Duty;

• Record and investigate incidents;

• Plan Outreach programmes to promote healthy lifestyle for the municipal employees;

• Provide health education;

• Develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for health related issues;

• Monitoring of diseases outbreak;

• Advise Council on disease outbreak; and

• Review and update Occupational Health policies.

INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Section 31 of the Municipal Staff Regulations stipulates that a Municipality must adopt a Performance Management and Development System that applies to all staff members of a Municipality. It is further stated in Section 31 (5) that the Performance Management and Development System must where reasonably practicable, link to the Municipality’s Strategic Objectives, Integrated Development Plan and the Service Delivery Budget Implementation Plan of the relevant Department, and the Senior Manager’s Performance Plan and the Performance Plans of the staff members within that Senior Manager’s Department.

Council's Individual Performance Management and Development Policy serves to guide the cascading process from the planning stage to the evaluation stage. Furthermore, it assists to provide a clear direction on the rewarding of employees with performance that is significantly above expectations and the steps to be followed in handling under performing employees.

Among other things, the policy outlines that in the process of cascading PMS, a supervisor and staff member will enter into a Performance Agreement, accompanied by a Performance Plan, for each performance cycle of the Municipality. These Agreements must be concluded within 30 days of the commencement of the new financial year of the Municipality for serving staff members and within 60 days for new appointments after probation as from 1 July of the new Financial Year. Employee's performance is assessed throughout the financial year. The formal assessments take place at the mid - year and after the end of the Financial year.