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viable outsourced

staFFiNG solutioNs

elinda Cookson the The company prides itself on outsourced cleaning services
proud CEO of Futurelink, offering customised solutions to
Ma national staffing ensure that each client receives The Outsourced Cleaning
solutions company, is unwaveringly the service that is right for their service provides comprehensive
cleaning and hygiene services
passionate about the diverse operational needs. to commercial and industrial
industry in which she works.
staffing solutions premises. Futurelink’s
Melinda entered the staffing professional, and supervised
industry in 1995 as a business The complete human resource staff work hard to provide a
development manager for a function is handled; from sourcing, spotless working environment for
reputable national staffing hiring and payroll through to employees and customers.
company. Five years later and performance management. Planned
armed with fantastic training or unplanned, temporary or long- World-class cleaning equipment,
and work experience, she took a term staffing solutions are available. sanitation chemicals and hygiene
huge leap of faith and started her All staff are screened, referenced products allow Futurelink to
own recruitment agency. and ‘ready to go’. This service service both the commercial third PartY
ensures minimum interruption or and industrial industries at a
“For me it was a huge risk, downtime for an organisation. service level tailored to the client’s
I started with no capital and requirements. dismissal
operated out of a small office in “We view ourselves as the experts
Westville. However, I was driven in our field. We work alongside industrial relations
by a strong desire to make a our clients, to ensure their staffing
difference in the staffing industry requirements are met and that Futurelink provides cost-
and was determined to make my the client has the flexibility to effective industrial relations
business a success.” employ contract workers through management to help avoid
Futurelink, to complement the risks and administrative Patrick Deale, ■ The threat by the third party
Futurelink now offers the peaks and troughs of their burden that comes with a Labour lawyer to impose some sanction
temporary and permanent operation and business needs,” workplace dispute or change and & mediator against the employer must
staffing solutions as well as says Melinda. facilitates a harmonious working be real.
value-added services for a environment. The Industrial hat if a client
wide range of operational Permanent recruitment Relations offering covers the ■ The harm that would be
requirements. Their clients A large database and years following: instructs a caused if the third party were
are diverse and come from of experience have uniquely ■ Labour audit of existing policies wcontractor to remove to carry out its threat must be
various industries; including positioned Futurelink to help and contracts one its employees? significant; mere
manufacturing, warehousing place permanent staff that help Businesses tend to focus inconvenience to the employer
and logistics, retail and the their clients’ organisations ■ Drafting of policies and on their core functions and is not enough to justify
corporate sector. grow. Driven by a passion to procedures and updating outsource non-core functions to dismissal.
contracts of employment
The company has also expanded see both the individual and the ■ Disciplinary, grievance, specialists. They negotiate with ■ The employer must take
and has staff located in most of the organisation succeed, Futurelink CCMA, and Labour Court service providers to supply the reasonable efforts to dissuade
major regions in South Africa. ensures that the right people dispute handling services on agreed terms and the party making the demand
are selected for a business. The
One of the highlights of personalised service ensures ■ Representation of clients costs – usually in the form of a to abandon the demand.
starting her own company was that the client’s requirements at Bargaining Councils, and service level agreement (SLA). ■ If the third party cannot be
winning a massive contract up and detailed job specifications Department of Labour
against giants in the industry. are matched against relevant ■ Wage, trade union or employee An SLA typically requires persuaded to abandon
She says, “The client could see candidates. The service includes: negotiations the contractor to provide the the demand, the employer
that we wanted the contract ■ Strike, and lockout handling expertise and the people to must investigate and consider
more, had the right people, and ■ Complete sourcing and negotiations deliver the services. Apart alternatives to dismissal.
that we could offer more value response handling; from ■ Advising, assisting and from the deemed employment ■ In the process of considering
and passion than many of the advertising to database management of retrenchments situations, there is no existing alternatives, the employer
other brands.” searches andnetworking etc. or redundancies or potential employment must consult the employee
■ Screening, shortlisting, reference
Melinda recognises that her checks, criminal checks, credit outsourced Payroll solutions relationship between the client and make it clear to him
company’s success can also be checks and education checks and the contractor. or her that rejection of any
attributed to the great team with ■ Three-month guarantee post Futurelink manages the full possible alternative will result
whom she has surrounded herself. placement, with regular follow- payroll process for both small and So what must the contractor in dismissal.
“A business is only as good as the ups (both client and candidate) large businesses, with temporary do if the client demands that
people it employs. Over time I have and permanent staff, tailored to one or more of its employees tiP:
built an atmosphere of mutual to ‘cement’ the placement each organisation’s needs. must be removed from working
respect amongst my staff, all of outsourced Projects division community on the service? a contractor may be tempted
whom operate in an environment to simply dismiss the employee
of honesty and integrity. I The Outsourced Projects Melinda believes that it is In Lebowa Platinum Mines because there’s no alternative
manage people upwards and Division specialises in customised essential for businesses to Ltd v Hill1, the Labour Appeal work available for him or her.
really encourage my staff to take solutions for processes such as get involved and give back to Court provided the following but it’s clear that the court
ownership of their responsibilities, manufacturing, warehousing, communities. She is an active useful guidelines or a “test” to will expect the contractor to
get involved and make the right logistics etc. member of the Ukuthula Trust consider in a case which deals do a lot more to try and rescue
decisions. Continued training and Futurelink takes a holistic, committee, which is an NPO based with dismissal at the behest of a the employee’s job. it will be
team building remain a priority.” outcomes-based responsibility in Chesterville near Durban. third party. evident from the elements
“We operate at a level of for entire projects or processes The Trust’s vision is to offer a ■ The mere fact that a third listed in the test, that both the
excellence that sets us apart in the including: administrative, payroll, broad spectrum of employment party demands the dismissal client and the contractor have
marketplace. I am steadfast when industrial relations and workforce and empowerment skills, obligations to be reasonable. n
it comes to following procedures element, as well as overall counselling to victims of child of an employee does not
and ‘doing things properly’, and supervision and management. abuse, rape and domestic render such dismissal fair. 1 (1998) 19 ILJ 1112 (LAC) and Grogan
nothing is too much trouble for This ensures that each client’s violence, and offers a restorative ■ The demand for the “Dismissal” page 536
our clients. The staffing industry is quantitative and qualitative justice programme.  employee’s dismissal must offices in KZN and johannesburg
highly competitive, and you need objectives are met. The service have had a good and sufficient c: 083 375 8771
to out-perform your competitors at offering includes ongoing feedback T: +27 (0)31 266 3290 foundation. e: patrick@deale.co.za
every opportunity. We have done and communication to meet key E: melinda@futurelink.co.za www.deale.co.za
this time and time again.” accountabilities. W: www.futurelink.co.za

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