2022 has been a year of rebuilding and new outlooks. South African businesses have been faced with a new type of business world and had to adapt not only in the way business is done but also in how employees are managed.

What the remote working world has brought to the professional sector is an immense responsibility for developing employee engagement strategies to ensure staff wellness and retention.

Employers need to focus on where their businesses are going and ensure that these visions are known to the workforce. Employers must ensure that their values are clear for all to see and that business practices, customer practices and employee practices align with them.

With the business world “shrinking”, employers who fail to adapt might be left behind.

As we always say here at CEO, this organisation belongs to our members, and their prosperity and workforce are our key driving factors. For this reason, we wanted to give our members a glimpse of the year that has passed from a CEO perspective.

We were fortunate enough to launch not only a new internal training division but also a division that has been able to provide training to our members. We have been able to empower members and employees with knowledge of CCMA and Bargaining Council processes and what is required when preparing for these CCMA or Bargaining Council matters. We have been able to debunk fake news regarding the extension of some collective agreements and ensure that our members are a 100% abreast of what is required in exemption procedures.

We will invite our members to keep a lookout for information regarding this division during 2023 as we are planning to grow this division from strength to strength.

CEO has also been able to launch internal employee wellness programs to ensure our employee’s mental and physical health, from an inter-office runathon to various social media challenges, all coming together with proper awards for employees who stand out in their performances.

CEO strives to be the voice of employers whilst maintaining an image of a preferred employer. This all leads to professional and knowledgeable service delivery to our over 18 000 active member files.

CEO Officials dealt with a whopping 8 566 CCMA and Bargaining Council matters between January and November 2022 and travelled an astonishing 636 064 kilometres in the service of our members during the same period.

With all the above being said, we, as CEO, would be remiss if we did not extend our gratitude to all our members for their constant support and ongoing professional relationships.

As this year ends and a new one begins, I leave you with the words of Hal Borland, a previous editorialist of the New York Times:
“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instil in us.”

I sincerely hope that all our members have a fantastic festive season, and I wish them a happy new year.

We will see you all in 2023!!!!

Jaundré Kruger
National Manager