When employment ends, you need to give the right notice, pay the employee everything they are owed, and put the correct documents in place. AskMandla walks you through all of it on WhatsApp: it confirms the reason, writes the termination letter, works out the final pay including any leave due, updates the payslip, and prepares a UI19 form so the employee can claim UIF.
When does employment end?
Employment between an employer and a domestic worker can end in a few ways:
1. Resignation - the employee chooses to leave
2. Termination - the employer ends the working relationship
3. Desertion - the employee stops coming to work without notice
4. Retrenchment - the role is no longer needed for financial or operational reasons
5. Mutual termination - the employer and employee agree to end the working relationship
AskMandla helps you manage this process legally, respectfully, and with all the documents in place.
Notice periods
South African labour law requires written notice. How much depends on how long the person has worked for you:
| Length of service | Required notice |
|---|---|
| Less than 6 months | 1 week |
| 6 to 12 months | 2 weeks |
| More than 12 months | 4 weeks |
No notice is needed in cases of serious misconduct, or dismissal after a disciplinary process.
If you dismiss an employee because of their ill-health, or because of retrenchment, you will have to pay out a notice period.
What AskMandla does when you end employment
We help you:
1. Confirm the reason for termination
2. Generate the correct termination letter
3. Calculate the final pay, including any leave due
4. Update the payslip
5. Optionally complete and share a UI19 form for UIF claims
All of this is done over WhatsApp, with no paperwork required.
Final payout
When employment ends, the employee is entitled to:
- Salary for all days worked
- Payment for unused leave, if they have been employed longer than 4 months
- Any deductions still owed, for example unpaid loans or damage to property, if this was agreed
If the employee owes notice, for example they leave without giving proper notice, the employer may deduct this from the final pay, as long as the contract allows for it.
UIF: what must be submitted
To help the employee claim UIF, we will:
- Generate a UI19 form
- Fill in details like the last working day, the reason for termination, and the leave payout
- Send a WhatsApp link so you can download the file
We can also help you with where and how to submit this to the Department of Labour.
What if the employee disappears (desertion)?
If the employee is absent for 5 or more consecutive working days without contacting you:
- This may be classified as desertion
- AskMandla can issue a desertion letter
- Employment may be ended, with no further salary due after 5 days
We will help you document the steps correctly to protect both parties.
If the employee comes back after you have ended their employment for desertion, you must hold a formal enquiry to decide whether the dismissal stands. If the employee was absent for a legitimate reason, such as being in hospital or in prison, you may need to reinstate them, and the earlier dismissal for desertion will not be valid.
Record-keeping
All contracts, warnings, payslips, and termination letters are stored in your AskMandla profile and can be retrieved at any time. You will always have a clean paper trail.
Treat terminations with dignity
Even when things end, keeping communication respectful and legal helps you avoid disputes, keeps the employee eligible for UIF, and protects your reputation as a fair employer.