Mzansi Furious as Workers Earning Over R22,400pm Are About To Lose Key Workplace Rights From May
- South Africans earning above R22,467 a month are set to lose automatic workplace protections starting from 1 May 2026
- Workers above the new threshold who face unfair treatment will have to take costly battles to the Labour Court instead of the CCMA
- Some employees who were just above the old limit may now gain overtime pay and other rights under the updated threshold
Your salary just became the reason your boss can work you harder, and South Africans are furious about it.
Source: UGC
The Department of Employment and Labour has raised the earnings threshold under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. From 1 May 2026, anyone earning more than R22,467 a month loses automatic workplace protections. The change was confirmed through an official gazette and pushes the new annual threshold to R269,601. That is up from R261,748 in 2025, a R7,853 jump that has rattled workers across Mzansi.
The news spread fast after a South African content creator known online as EJV Flash News posted a TikTok clip on 19 April 2026. He broke down exactly what the change means for everyday South African workers in plain language. Many South Africans were not happy with what they heard.
Read also
NUM marches through Johannesburg streets over Eskom unbundling and rising electricity costs
What you actually lose
According to a report by BusinessTech, employees earning above the threshold lose several key protections under the BCEA. Gone are regulated working hours, overtime pay, meal intervals, and daily rest periods. Night work pay, Sunday pay, and public holiday pay also fall away for those above the line. Your employer gains far more flexibility over your working conditions, and the law will not intervene.
DON'T MISS IT: Stay Away From Fake News With Our Short, Free Fact-Checking Course. Join And Get Certified!
Under the Employment Equity Act, workers above the threshold cannot take unfair discrimination disputes to the CCMA for arbitration. Sexual harassment cases are the one exception, along with situations where all parties agree to arbitration. Everything else goes straight to the Labour Court, which is far more expensive and complex for the average worker.
Workers below the threshold enjoy clear and enforceable protections under the law every single day. Those above it are largely left to negotiate their own terms, and that rarely goes in the worker's favour.
See the TikTok clip below:
Mzansi doesn't welcome the news well
Briefly News compiled some comments from the post below.
@👑_King_Contro_👑 commented:
“This government is against progress. 🥀”
@Chandré Ashlyn wrote:
“So we must work harder to bring home more money for our kids, so the government can take more, so we will never have enough?”
@alberthendricks70 asked:
“Who comes up with these laws?”
@OmphemetseMokate commented:
“I told my employer that if they are going to follow this law/rule, if I reach 180 hours in just two weeks, I won’t come to work for the remaining two weeks. 🤌🏿”
@Tonic highlighted:
“They tax us like crazy, and after that, still, they implement this? What for?”
@Vanessa Moodley wrote:
“It's crazy. If you work overtime, you should be compensated. The cost of living is high. People need their extra pay. Companies are draining their staff.”
Source: TikTok
More stories about workplaces
- A viral TikTok shows a man crying inside his car, overwhelmed by workplace bullying and toxicity.
- The South African youth were not too fond of how a lady painted them to be after sharing her experience working with them.
- In a touching throwback video, a university graduate surprised his grandmother at her recycling facility workplace.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
