EP23: How to Get Your Business 2026-Ready: Compliance, Culture & Common Sense

In this episode of The Rev Room, Francois sits down with Ruan from Labournet and labour-law expert Juliana van der Merwe to unpack the real-world steps every business needs to take before 2026.

From year-end compliance and employment equity submissions to workplace conduct at year-end functions, this conversation strips away the jargon and focuses on what actually matters: protecting your people, your profits, and your peace of mind.

If you’ve ever felt behind on compliance or unsure where to start, this episode gives you the clarity and direction to close the year strong and enter 2026 ready to grow - without the stress.

Three Key Takeaways

1. Year-End Done Right: Compliance isn’t a checkbox — it’s a strategy. Get your EE reports and WSP/ATR submissions in before deadlines to avoid penalties.
2. Behaviour Still Matters: Year-end functions are still company events — professionalism doesn’t end after hours. Your reputation (and policy framework) travel with you.
3. Turn Compliance into Cashflow: Incentives, SDL rebates, and training grants are hidden opportunities to reclaim funds while upskilling your team.

👉 Visit www.bizrev.co.za to learn more about our coaching, consulting, and full-service business support solutions.

📊 Want to see where your business really stands today? Take our free Biz Clarity Score™ — a 3-minute diagnostic to uncover gaps in financial visibility, tax strategy, advisory support, and business resilience. Get instant feedback and actionable next steps.

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💼 Have a business challenge, need strategic mentorship, or want to be featured on an upcoming episode of The Rev Room? Reach out directly via our site—we’d love to hear from you.

Let’s build better, together.

Transcript

welcome to the Rev Room powered by Buzz Rev Advisory
Today
we have the privilege of talking to the Labour Laws
specialist to my left is Ron
hi yeah
good day thank you for interviewing me again
thank you everyone
we are showing the Mark for the session so that's great
we can't talk yet and to my right is Juliana
welcome Juliana thank you very much
great so
today we're gonna unpack a few things about getting
ready for 2026 um
and so I'm gonna do a little bit of talking
and so Ruwan's gonna kick off with us and say Ruwan
what do we have to do to get ready for 2026
yeah um
well getting ready for 2026 is a big one
but remember we're still in 2025
so we still need to do an end of the year properly
and doing it the right way
now I'm Ron for you I'm from Labor Net
I'm actually branch manager here in the Garden
Route area looking after all the clients here
regarding their compliance
so yes
there is a lot of still to do for the rest of this year
um regarding compliance
I mean there's a lot of areas in compliance you know
you got your labour law you got your employment equity
skill development health and safety
b compliance with most of you
that's got the B pressures
but um ending this year off
and you also have to look really closely at labour law
not only labour law compliance
but staying compliant in your business and
and also you know
acting and doing the right things in the workplace
especially with hearing functions
Juliana maybe more on that for us please
yeah so we're getting into the silly season of the year
that's what we like to call it
so just a short introduction
sorry I'm taking my selfie first though
that's fine well
um
okay so thank you Ruan um
we're heading into the silly season
that's what we like to call it
obviously we
we have here in functions and yes
we're all very excited to celebrate the end of the year
um and all the efforts that we
as a team put in to get the company to where
they're supposed to be with that
still comes a responsibility as an employee to behave
during um
here in functions we see it so often
companies or clients have these big year in functions
in two or three days thereafter
the HR contacts us and stipulates listen
this is what happened
and although it was a year in function
and the answer is yes
you can still take action against an employee
if they misbehaved at a
um it's still a year
even if it's after hours even if it's after hours
it's still a company event
you're still representing the company
even at the after parties
remember that because if you're wearing company
for example
myself wearing a company shirt driving a company
company vehicle
and you get into trouble after the year in function
at the after party or whatever you wanna call it
you can still be held responsible
and the company can still take disciplinary action
against you so please
as much as we all want to enjoy the celebrations
the final responsibility still on the employee
to make sure they behave
and that they act in a manner that's still
in accordance with the company's disciplinary code
so if there are any questions or any concerns
or any events
that took place at your specific year in function
please contact Lavinia
we are more than willing to assist you in terms of
conducting the hearing
or advising on the next step to follow yeah
thank you to do on
and if your policies are not in place for the hearing
make sure that it is before you schedule those parties
coming up um
from lemonade side as well
you know um if you want to prepare end of the year
strongly make sure do free order
you know we get lemonade and hold
we'll do free orders for them health and safety
labour law whichever is needed
just to make sure that they're comfortable um
going into 2026 but before we close off the year
I just want to touch on employment equity a little bit
all the companies out there above 50 employees
you all know
you need to comply with Employment Equity Act
and also submit your reports
started off in one September
and it needs to be submitted
before the 15th of January
if you haven't done so already
I think you should get going
um to make sure that it's submitted
otherwise
the department of Labour will be knocking on your door
um right after 15 January
and yes there will be fines imposed as well
so that's for all companies above 50 employees
for all the rest that does not um
have to comply with the Employment Act
Equity Act anymore
just to make sure you still need to go online
you still need to go deactivate your profile alright
so I don't know if Russia um
a lot of companies out there don't know this yet
they think they're below 50
they used to comply in the in the in the past
they don't have to anymore
remember
you still need to go online to deactivate your profile
we didn't we I don't think we do that
that actually it was required to deactivate no
they just let it go and then yes
they will get a um knock on their door generally
so yes and then apart from that
there's also your skill development
everyone's been paying on a monthly basis that SDL
which is called the skill development levy
that's 1% of your payroll is going to stars
on a monthly basis
so you'll see on your EMP 2 o ones and your 5 o ones
that's been submitted
on a monthly basis and then the six months
so I just getting a lot of that money
just to make sure for this year
if you submitted a report in April it's called a W s
P a t
R report or Work Skills Plan or Annual Training Report
if you submitted that in April yourself fantastic
there's a little bit of money coming your way
which is a mandatory grant
it's a about 20% of the money you get back
then you can also apply for discretionary grants
there's actually currently um
a window open as well for food beef
and then everyone in and in this
you can literally
go and apply for a discretionary grant
and maybe at the discretion of the CTA
get a little bit of money back
so if that's not you don't worry
let's prepare you for next year for 2026
I want you all to you must help you get ready
so if you don't know where to go
if you haven't done it before
give us a call I mean franchise
we work really well with you and the group as well
to help clients get their report in
in April
and then also apply for discretionary grants for them
then they can see all the benefits from it
all the tax benefit all the incentives
it's actually just a government way of saying
thank you for upskilling your staff
so let's everyone get on board with that
in preparation
for next year to make sure you get the most taxes
benefits for the year
anything else for the government to say
thank you that's the first time I've heard of that
everyone that's actually we need to we need to uh
a coin that phrase and actually utilize it quite a bit
but it is important I think
to realize that
you actually can get money back from tax
you are able to to utilise the mechanisms to
create more value in your business
and I think that's what excites me um
the all the other stuff that you do is great
and it's great and we do great work too
but the idea is how are you gonna
how are we gonna help our clients
or the viewers to be able to unlock more value
because business is tough and if you're able to
to give support and help to any entrepreneur
or any company or entrepreneur
that's what we the the place we wanna be be at
and so that's why we support later that
we enjoy working with you guys
and we think that all our clients can benefit
from the mutual relationship that we have
so yeah so
so we're looking at at 2026
those deadlines are important
we um for all the listeners out there
if you want to get ready if you're not ready reach out
drop the drop comments in the comment box
we're happy to reach out to connect you with Lebanet
so that you can become ready for 2026
cause we feel it's gonna be a
this year was great
but next year is gonna be even greater
and the more aligned and the more prepared we are
the more we all win
so so Ron
is there anything else you can tell us about 2026
yeah ah
let uh
laburnet look after your people
so you can look after your business
that's very good advice so yeah
and a and a good little uh
tip for them in it so Juliana
do you have any more advice for us for next year
for 2026 do you have some comments you'd like to add
no I think I'm excited for twenty 26
there has been changes like you've mentioned
I spoke about it earlier in terms of the parade
practice so
that's obviously
where we can assist from a labour law perspective
but I think change is good
we need to welcome the changes in legislation
and it shouldn't scare us
we need to make use of the opportunity
but let's make 2026 a great one excellent
so Ruan thank you for joining us
this is not gonna be the last
we'll have some more time where we can spend together
helping our viewers to understand more about
their position and their compliance
and their and their journey