The portal will enable the public to know what their rights and responsibilities are during this period.
LexisNexis South Africa has launched a Covid-19 Free Resource Centre aimed at informing the public of its rights and responsibilities during this period, as well as the rights and obligations of employers, employees and businesses.
The legal, regulatory and business information and analytics company said in a statement that, as the Covid-19 pandemic tightens its grip on South Africa and a 21-day national lockdown is implemented, companies, employes and employees across the country are hastily navigating a minefield of unfamiliar working conditions and stringent new regulations that cut across multiple areas of law.
The Covid-19 portal provides free access to information that covers a variety of general public themes like labour law, immigration, property and planning, as well as notices, court directives and regulations pertaining to Covid-19.
LexisNexis South Africa CEO and chairperson Videsha Proothveerajh said:
“Now and then, every country faces a crisis of one kind or another. The difference here is that Covid-19 represents a common enemy that we are all fighting across the globe. It continues to test all aspects of our societies – our people, our infrastructure, our systems and processes – and indeed, even our understanding and implementation of the rule of law. This Covid-19 portal is one of our responses as a good corporate citizen that is committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that the country survives this difficult period.”
The site includes commentary from legal experts around the country on emerging themes and topics around Covid-19 matters, as well as articles covering some of the most important questions around Covid-19, including:
- employee rights and employer obligations,
- immigration rights for foreign nationals working in the country,
- rental payment problems caused by Covid-10, and
- demotion as an alternative to retrenchment.
The LexisNexis editorial team has also made Covid-19 legislation and regulation changes available on the site, which includes useful tips, data and other helpful resources.
“Creating information and content that is anchored by the Rule of Law is perhaps one of our most important reasons for existing and we believe this proposed tool will be an extremely helpful resource as we continue to see people’s information needs expanding during this outbreak,” said Proothveerajh.
She added that this comprehensive resource could help reduce the spread of misinformation and assist South African citizens to become more “savvy” about their rights and responsibilities during this time.
