Absa’s HR department must be in a world of pain. The bank has told its full IT staff complement to reapply for their jobs, and look for two other roles within the company. Of Absa’s 1 600 IT personnel, about 200 are currently sitting at home on the company’s payroll, twiddling their thumbs as they await “reassignment”. No wonder I’m still waiting for my online banking issues to be fixed.

By the way, it’s illegal to make an employee reapply for his or her current position. Barney Jordaan, a labour law practitioner and a professor at the University of Stellenbosch’s Business School, says that on principle, staff cannot be asked to reapply for their jobs, or ones that are substantially similar. Yet that’s exactly what Absa seems to be demanding of its IT division, while also officially denying it is undergoing a retrenchment process.

Affected IT staff have been advised that they are not guaranteed jobs, and may have to look for work elsewhere if they cannot be “reallocated” to other positions within Absa, or the greater Barclays group, Absa’s UK-based majority owner. Insiders say there ARE no more positions, in reality.

Finance union, Sasbo is on the brink of war with Absa. The union’s assistant general secretary, Comfort Duma says the union will “fight very hard should any members be retrenched after three months”. Which begs the question of whether Absa’s hundreds of potentially laid off staff will be taking much comfort in anything right now.

[Source: ITWeb]