Poor work performance (PWP) is a frequent challenge in the workplace, yet many employers misunderstand how it should be managed. At the CCMA, employers often lose PWP-related cases because they cannot show that they provided adequate guidance, support, or training to the relevant employee before resorting to disciplinary action. In terms of South African labour law, underperformance is generally not viewed as intentional misconduct. It is typically the result of an ability or skills gap, and that gap often arises from insufficient training.

What Is Poor Work Performance?

Poor work performance usually occurs when an employee attempts to meet the job requirements and performance standards set for them by their employers but consistently falls short of these standards and requirements. Unlike misconduct, it does not involve deliberate or negligent behaviour.

Examples include:

  • Missing deadlines;
  • Repeating avoidable errors;
  • Slow output or low productivity;
  • Poor-quality work; and
  • Difficulty adapting to new systems, processes, or job requirements.

In these cases, the underlying issue is usually capability and not attitude.

Training: The Most Overlooked Cause of Underperformance

A leading contributor to underperformance is inadequate training, orientation, or support. Employees often struggle when:

  1. They did not receive a proper induction;
  2. Instructions or performance expectations were unclear;
  3. They were not shown how to perform tasks correctly;
  4. Job requirements changed without adequate guidance;
  5. New tools, systems, or equipment were introduced without training; or
  6. They were promoted without being equipped for the new role.

Even skilled employees cannot succeed if they are not properly supported. Before acting, employers must follow a fair and transparent process that:

  • Identifies the performance gap;
  • Investigates the cause;
  • Provides necessary training, coaching, and support;
  • Sets reasonable and achievable improvement goals; and
  • Monitors and records progress over a reasonable time.

Without such evidence, a dismissal for PWP will typically be found substantively and procedurally unfair.

The Employer’s Duty to Provide Training

The Code of Good Practice: Dismissal places a clear obligation on employers to ensure that an employee:

  1. Is aware, or could reasonably be expected to have been aware, of the required performance standard,
  2. Is given a fair opportunity to meet that standard,
  3. Is working toward a standard that is achievable,
  4. Faces dismissal only as a last resort, once support measures have failed.

For senior or highly skilled employees, whose jobs assume a high level of competence, formal warnings may not always be necessary. However, even in such cases, employers must still ensure that expectations are clear and reasonable.

Case Law

In Damelin (Pty) Ltd v Solidarity obo Parkinson and Others (2017), the Labour Appeal Court (LAC) reaffirmed the principle that employees must be given a genuinely fair opportunity to improve in cases of poor work performance. In this case, for instance, giving the employee 27 days to meet a performance target was unfair because the target was unrealistic and based on speculative assumptions. In Gold Fields Mining South Africa (Pty) Ltd (Kloof Gold Mine) v CCMA and Others (2014), the LAC emphasised that before an employer can dismiss for PWP, they must prove that the employee failed to meet a known and existing standard, the shortfall was serious, the employee was given sufficient training, guidance, support, and time to improve, and that the failure was due to the employee’s inability, not external factors or inadequate employer support.

Conclusion

Poor work performance is often rooted in insufficient training or inadequate support, not in unwillingness. South African labour law clearly requires employers to provide guidance, training, and a reasonable opportunity to improve before taking disciplinary action. By investing in proper onboarding, ongoing training, and constructive performance management, employers not only enhance productivity but also safeguard themselves against unfair dismissal disputes.