{"id":70007,"date":"2024-12-16T13:48:41","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T11:48:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/?p=70007"},"modified":"2025-03-07T18:09:31","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T16:09:31","slug":"the-ins-and-outs-of-leave-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/the-ins-and-outs-of-leave-management\/","title":{"rendered":"The ins and outs of leave management"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/category\/people-leadership\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">People &amp; Leadership<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe ins and outs of leave management\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \">Published <time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2024-12-16T13:48:41+02:00\">December 16, 2024<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"The ins and outs of leave management\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/the-ins-and-outs-of-leave-management\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/author\/ziataylor5\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/09\/Zia-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Zia Taylor<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">South Africans are increasingly taking a strategic approach to annual leave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Due to the abundance of public holidays, it is possible to take minimal leave days and still get a significant chunk of time off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, in theory, this doesn\u2019t sound all that bad, but in practice, it has the potential to become messy, real quick. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is because leave can be taken <em>before <\/em>the public holiday, <em>after <\/em>it, or even before <em>and<\/em> after it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, who\u2019s in the office, when? And how many days are they gone for? And do they even have that much leave to start with?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> Also, are there enough people left in the office to cover all the bases that need to be covered?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is why having a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/products\/sage-300-people\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">leave management system<\/a> is so important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-here-s-what-we-ll-cover\">Here&#8217;s what we&#8217;ll cover<\/h3>\n\n\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><ul><li><a href=\"#h-what-is-leave-management\" data-level=\"2\">What is leave management?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-why-is-leave-management-important\" data-level=\"2\">Why is leave management important?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-what-are-the-different-types-of-leave\" data-level=\"2\">What are the different types of leave?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-choosing-the-right-leave-management-system\" data-level=\"2\">Choosing the right leave management system<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">A guide to starting your HR cloud journey<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Get your HR, IT, finance leader and CEO on the same page when it comes to choosing cloud tech.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-b006ad69-70c4-4589-9c1d-ad6df0843092\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1097995910-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1097995910-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-leave-management\"><strong>What is leave management? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leave management is the processes and systems that control the application, approval, and tracking of employee leave in a business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This includes getting approval from relevant decision-makers, running it through payroll, and updating the employee\u2019s attendance record and leave balances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leave management systems should also alert you to situations that could affect your bottom line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, suppose too many people from a single department are on leave at the same time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In that case, you might need to hire contingency staff or negotiate a workable solution with your employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-is-leave-management-important\"><strong>Why is leave management important? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leave management is important because time is money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Inconsistent leave policies can result in significant losses \u2013 of both money and people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unplanned or poorly planned leave can lead to missed deadlines or targets, poor staff morale, and unhappy clients or customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are the top six reasons why having an automated leave management system will save you time, money, and admin-induced headaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-record-keeping\"><strong>Record keeping<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leave management systems maintain an auditable record of leave by automatically updating the values as leave is approved, declined, or accrued. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because paid leave is an employee benefit, it is the right of every employee to have access to their leave balances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/products\/sage-300-people\/\">HR solutions<\/a> offer employees real-time, self-service access to their leave stats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-legal-compliance\"><strong>Legal compliance<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is essential that every business complies with payroll industry laws. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not only does leave management software reduce errors in leave reporting and payroll calculations, but it also updates automatically as tax and labour regulations change, enabling compliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-reporting-analytics\"><strong>Reporting\/analytics<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leave management software tracks employee leave behaviour and can offer a holistic view of leave trends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This makes it easier to prepare and put contingency plans in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-plug-revenue-gaps\"><strong>Plug revenue gaps<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having a record of leave in place means you will no longer lose money by paying for unapproved absences and uncompleted working hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It also means that leave will be appropriately managed, and staff will no longer be able to accrue months of leave for which the business is liable to pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-reduce-admin-burden\"><strong>Reduce admin burden<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Good leave management systems give employees self-service access to their leave balances and allow them to manage their time off electronically, providing transparency and a reduced admin burden for the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-employee-wellbeing\"><strong>Employee wellbeing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Accurately managing leave will see employees enjoying their full leave entitlements, resulting in a better rested and more engaged workforce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And everyone knows that a happy workforce is a productive one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-the-different-types-of-leave\"><strong>What are the different types of leave?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are various <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.za\/sites\/default\/files\/gcis_document\/201409\/a75-97.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">types of leave<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The leave cycle is determined by the type of leave and is either a specified period of employment with the same employer following the start of their employment or after the end of the previous annual leave cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leave is broken down into the following categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-annual-leave\"><strong>Annual leave<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the leave you take when you need a break; it\u2019s the time for holidays, rest, rejuvenation, and family time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The annual leave cycle is a 12-month period in which an employee is entitled, by agreement, to either:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>21 consecutive days\u2019 annual leave,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>One day of annual leave for every 17 days worked, or<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>One hour of annual leave for every 17 hours worked.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The employee is to receive full pay for annual leave days and can take accumulated leave on consecutive days (i.e., the employee might choose to take a month off in December and will \u201cstockpile\u201d leave until then).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-sick-leave\"><strong>Sick leave<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the leave you take when you\u2019re feeling under the weather, have had an accident, need a mental health day, or have a scheduled op that requires recovery time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sick leave works on a 36-month cycle, and an employee is entitled to a number of sick days equal to the number of days worked in a six-week cycle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, if an employee has been with the company for six months or less, they are only entitled to one day of sick leave for every 26 days worked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">See why a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/products\/sage-300-people\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">leave management system<\/a> is so important?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employees are usually required to bring a doctor\u2019s note if their sick leave fell on a Monday or Friday or if they have taken more than two consecutive days off work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-maternity-leave\"><strong>Maternity leave<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An employee is entitled to a minimum of four months (paid or unpaid) maternity leave, which may commence either four weeks before the anticipated date of birth or from when a doctor or midwife certifies that the mother is to take leave for the safety of herself or the baby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unless a doctor has certified that it is safe to do so, an employee may not return to work within six weeks after giving birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An employee who has a miscarriage or bears a stillborn child during the third trimester is entitled to six weeks of maternity leave following the miscarriage or stillbirth, regardless of whether the employee had begun maternity leave at the time of the miscarriage or stillbirth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employers are not obligated to offer paid maternity leave, in which case maternity benefits are determined according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.za\/sites\/default\/files\/gcis_document\/201409\/a63-010.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Unemployment Insurance Act<\/a> (commonly known as UIF).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-parental-leave\"><strong>Parental leave<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An employee who is a parent of a child is entitled to 10 consecutive days\u2019 parental leave, commencing the day the child is born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-doption-leave\"><strong>A<\/strong><strong>doption<\/strong><strong> leave<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adoption leave applies to the adoption of a child under the age of two. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A single adoptive parent is entitled to 10 consecutive weeks\u2019 leave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If there are two adoptive parents, the other is entitled to 10 consecutive days\u2019 normal parental leave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leave can commence from the date the adoption order is granted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-commissioning-parental-leave\"><strong>Commissioning parental leave<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Commissioning parental leave applies to surrogacy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The commissioning parent is entitled to 10 consecutive weeks\u2019 leave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If there are two commissioning parents, the other parent is entitled to 10 consecutive days\u2019 normal parental leave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In both cases, leave can commence the day the child is born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-family-responsibility-leave\"><strong>Family responsibility leave<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This leave is set aside for when an employee\u2019s child is sick or when there has been a death in the immediate family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An employee is entitled to three days of paid family responsibility leave in each leave cycle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This type of leave cannot be accrued and will expire at the end of the annual cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-choosing-the-right-leave-management-system\"><strong>Choosing the right leave management system<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It should now be clear that a manual leave management system is likely to set you up for failure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, what now?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having the right cloud HR and payroll system will transform the way you manage your employees\u2019 leave (that means no more sticky notes lying around!). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your employees will feel empowered by having sight of their leave balances, and your business will be able to plan accurately thanks to transparent leave schedules and trend analytics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">A guide to starting your HR cloud journey<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Get your HR, IT, finance leader and CEO on the same page when it comes to choosing cloud tech.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-b006ad69-70c4-4589-9c1d-ad6df0843092\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1097995910-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1097995910-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Editor&#8217;s note: this article was originally published in April 2022 and has been updated for relevance.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice enewsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get a roundup of our best business advice in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-84fe79b5-668d-41f8-a0cc-6229018c4ac9\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181404518-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181404518-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/tag\/compliance\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCompliance\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/tag\/hr-payroll\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHR &amp; Payroll\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-76381 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-people-leadership category-technology-innovation tag-artificial-intelligence tag-business-management tag-hr-payroll tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/06\/Ai-in-HR-infographic-image-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"A woman stands in front of the Sage glowline with a black background.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/06\/Ai-in-HR-infographic-image-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/06\/Ai-in-HR-infographic-image-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/06\/Ai-in-HR-infographic-image-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-06-23T13:19:28+02:00\">June 23, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">11 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/what-is-ai-in-hr\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWhat is AI in HR and how can you use it responsibly?\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tAI is quickly becoming part of everyday HR work. But while many HR leaders see its potential, just as many are concerned about how to use it responsibly.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-73627 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-people-leadership tag-business-management tag-employing-people-for-the-first-time tag-hr-payroll tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/employee-onboarding-process\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-944060494-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-944060494-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-944060494-768x478.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-944060494-1300x810.jpg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-05-14T12:28:58+02:00\">May 14, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">15 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tThe ultimate employee onboarding guide\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-2 post-76128 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-accountants tag-audit tag-bookkeeping tag-business-intelligence tag-compliance tag-financial-insights tag-profit-loss tag-staying-competitive tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/accounts-payable-journal-entry\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-508067071_super-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-508067071_super-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-508067071_super-768x585.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-508067071_super-1064x810.jpg 1064w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-05-01T13:42:18+02:00\">May 1, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">1 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tAccounts payable journal entry explained: Definition, types and examples\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-76011 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-people-leadership category-trends-insights tag-business-intelligence tag-employing-people-for-the-first-time tag-hr-payroll tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/the-hr-and-payroll-leaders-report\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-684x384.jpeg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"A woman looks to camera with the Sage glow line in the background.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-684x384.jpeg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-768x518.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-1200x810.jpeg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-03-10T12:31:22+02:00\">March 10, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">5 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tThe HR and Payroll Leaders&#8217; Report: How 1,000 professionals are adapting to change\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-75887 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations category-trends-insights tag-accountants tag-bookkeeping tag-business-intelligence tag-compliance tag-financial-insights tag-hr-payroll tag-making-financial-decisions tag-news-insights tag-staying-competitive tag-tax tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/tax-year-end-checklist\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/07\/fringe-benefits-blog-header-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Two women in an office discussing fringe benefits types and 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read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tTax year-end 2026: calendar and checklist for South African SMEs\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover why having a leave management system is so important, the different types of leave and how to choose the right system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1295,"featured_media":69675,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"_pwl_sage_podcast_buzzsprout_src":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[321,201],"business_type":[3],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[14],"imagine_tag":[57,100],"coauthors":[447],"class_list":["post-70007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people-leadership","tag-compliance","tag-hr-payroll","business_type-medium-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-za","author_name":"Zia Taylor","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1166085712.jpg","imagine_tags":{"57":"HR and Payroll","100":"Payroll software"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice South Africa","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1295"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70007"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70007\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/69675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70007"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=70007"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=70007"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=70007"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=70007"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=70007"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=70007"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=70007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}