The alignment of sick leave with human resource practice and policy in the mining industry

M.Com. (Business Management)Abstract: The research conducted in this study was exploratory, investigating the phenomenon of sick leave abuse in CPS, a single South African company with many mines, for the purpose of proposing new finding regarding how to manage sick leave abuse. The study has relevance for all companies in the South African mining sector. The study involved the purposeful selection of respondents who dealt with the phenomenon on a day-to-day basis. The eight participants in the study assumed various roles in the different mine subsidiary companies that make up CPS, South Africa. The research study began by reviewing the history of this phenomenon, both nationally and globally, highlighting the damaging effect it can have on organisations, and, in particular, the South African mining sector. Using this background information, a strategy for research and research methodology was prepared. The selected methodology was based on qualitative research using semi-structured open-ended questionnaires to gather primary data, which was analysed using content analysis of themes. This was an interpretivist paradigm and inductive approach. The conclusions drawn were that both employees and labour have a responsibility to mitigating the reductions in organisational performance that this phenomenon can cause. Employers were found to have inefficient human resource systems to deal with employees‘ perception that sick leave had to be taken whether one was sick or not. Conclusively, employers and employees alike have much work to do in order to overcome this phenomenon, but similarly all parties are optimistic that with cooperation, unity and mutual respect everything is possible