Maternity Benefits

Two consecutive days about benefits, this is most probably definately bugging me ;) And even though im also pregnant, the reason im learning so much is because a friend of mine is due to go on maternity leave any minute and she has asked me to download some forms for her that needs to be filled in. You have no idea what a mission it all is. My sister-in-law just received her first payment, R58, need i say any more!!! Below is the requirements as found on http://www.capegateway.gov.za/eng/directories/services/7296/21273#maternity

To claim maternity benefits, you need to register at the Labour office and get a medical certificate on the correct form from your doctor.

To register you will need:
: a copy of 13-digit bar-coded identity document
:Copies of your last 6 payslips
:information supplied by your employer (UI19)
:a service certificate from the employer
:proof of your banking details - ASK ME WHY SINCE THEY PAY YOU BY CHEQUE!
:a statement of amount received from employer during maternity leave
:a fully completed registration form.

When you register, you will be given Form UF92. This form must be filled in by your doctor. You then submit this form to the UIF claims officer at the Labour Office.
The claim will be paid by cheque which will be posted to you.
To apply for benefits after the baby is born, you need to complete Form UF95 with help from the doctor who delivered the baby.

Now i need to say thanks for informing us on what we need, but the shocking reality of maternity leave is that companies are not obligated to pay you a cent when you go on maternity leave and the government pays up to 58% max of your monthly salary, now that means, if you earn R2000, and i know people that earn that, you will receive R1160 per month. Now the question is, how does this amount accomodate you AND your baby? That R2000 isnt even enough to accomodate you. And dont say people shouldnt have children, its our God given right to have kids. Its just so sad to think that the government will see to everything else when it comes to employees and what needs to be paid, gee, the tax man will hunt you down in timbuktu to get his money, but no provision or no adequate provisions are made for those going on maternity leave.

Isnt this horrific! People always try and plan kids, if we cant save a measely R200 a month, how are we going to plan to have kids and save at least R500 a month to accomodate all that is necessary for a new born child. Its nappies, blankets, clothing, creams, powders etc. Think of all the things we need to survive and multiply that by two to just get a glimse of what is needed for a child. People are not having kids because they dont want to, but because its so expensive and our dear government is doing nothing to help the cause.

Deputy presidents can take their whole families on vacation using private jet's, here we cant have kids because the government wants to pay us half our money that we earn a month. But just not pay them their tax or UIF or anything that is due to them, and all hell will freeze over before you dont pay them. We have our lovely ex deputy president running around telling the world that showering after having sex with an HIV positive person will reduce his chances of contracting it, and he gets paid to be in office, BUT we cant get better maternity benefits. TRAGIC!!

Your thoughts......

Sonja

xxx

This and that

Sitting here at work, bored out my skull, waiting for work, and i wonder to myself, how much time is being wasted. I need to get something to do. Why is it that we as employees always need to take the initiative to generate work for ourselves?? Did I employ myself? Surely i was employed for a reason! This infuriates me, how someone can sit here some days and not be busy, there isnt even anything that i can pick up and carry on with. Ofcourse there are pro's and con's to all jobs, but i would prefer to be so busy that i cant distinguish my ear from my asshole, but that is a reality i dont have. And the question needs to be, WHY? Why dont i have that reality, if a job is created, then surely there is work to keep that job alive.

That is why i will never understand jobs becoming redundant and people being retrenched. Why do you employ people to just "fire" them in a nice way. Yes you get Business Process Re-engineering, maybe your company was sold, but what just gets to me is how people are so easily retrenched or their jobs are made redundant. Its not as if they were sitting at home and waiting eagerly for a job to come up, they left a job seeking greener pastures, more like redundant pastures if you ask me.

And explain why bosses seem to have favourites, you'll find one person fighting and another just sitting and reaping all benefits, there surely must be some reward for the black sheep? And why is it so easy for people making thousands, and i mean thousands of rands to just exploit their workers, and by exploit i do mean, such bad money. Isnt IT supposed to be an industry of money, certainly it should be, looking at other job offers, the money looks good, so how can such a reputable company then be exploiting their workers?

Just a few thoughts, i think we all have work issues. And another issue, why is it so easy for companies not to pay benefits!!! That is shocking isnt it!

Sonja
xxx

A bit of Easter thoughts

So the Robbie Williams concert seemed to be a hit according to some friends, me personally, not really a fan of his, except for one song, and that i only realised last night. But that is besides the point i want to chat about today.......

We had a buddy over last night speaking about a colleague whose sister was on her way to the concert. Now I've been to a live concert, two of them actually, for Westlife (do not even think of laughing), and I know the excitement and thrill that goes with it all. Well she was on her way, i guess walking towards the stadium after finding a parking spot in the already crowded Greenpoint. As she crossed the road she was knocked by a car. Rushed to hospital, she was brain dead and her lung had collapsed. Immediately she was put on a respiratory machine, much like was used when my mom had her brain hemorrhage. Saturday morning she died. Now what a mixed emotion for the evening don't you think. I've experienced both the death associated to this girl and the excitement of the concert, what an anticlimactic to the event. Anyway, my point is, is it possible that she was just not seeing oncoming traffic because of the excitement of seeing Robbie Williams for the first time, or was the driver just not seeing her because of the same excitement. A 22 year old girl now dies, by what seems to be a freak accident. Yes this happens everyday, but just the mixture of emotions associated with it all makes me quite sad. Her mom was not even in the country, she was overseas and now is returning to bury her 22 year old daughter..........Is there enough precaution to protect those going out to see these famous artists?

Another thought, i see the headlines are saying 54 deaths over the Easter period. This is an excellent number compared to previous years, and as much as the traffic officials feel the need to take credit, which rightfully i think they should have, i don't think full credit is due. Yes i do believe that they played a great role in the low deal toll, they need to be heartfelt thanked for offering time up to save others across the country. Im sure they would rather have spent the time with their families. So a thank you to all those who have offered their time during this Easter time. But this leaves me to wonder, didn't other factors maybe play a part, like maybe the weather (as a buddy of mine suggested) or maybe even a lower amount of people going away the Easter weekend, maybe traditions were broken for safety purposes??

Looking back at previous years, it always rains during Easter time, really a remembrance of the sorrow and pain Jesus went through when He died to set us free. And this year it has only rained on Good Friday, IRONY maybe? This would then mean that no motorists were caught in bad weather. We all know what one day of rain can do in Cape Town, what about the rest of the country. So maybe the weather played a part in the low death toll??

How about people just not wanting to go away the past weekend? Another long weekend is coming up soon, surely 5 days are better than 4? I just feel that this past weekend was much of a relaxation period. Most of my friends were at home, watching movies, spending time with their families. Is Easter truly becoming what it is supposed to be? A time for family and praise and thanksgiving and maybe just truly people who have to come to realise what Easter is really meant to be, and not thinking that its just a free ticket to get sloshed for more than two days a week???

Your thoughts.....

Sonja
xxx