Cape Peninsula University of Technology District 6 campus.
A Labour Court judgment involving a Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) employee diagnosed with anxiety and depression has reinforced employers' obligations to properly accommodate workers with health conditions before resorting to dismissal.
The case centred on long-serving CPUT employee Ferose Samaai, who successfully challenged her dismissal, which occurred during a time she was battling poor mental health.
The judgment records that Samaai, who had worked at CPUT since 1996, was diagnosed with anxiety and depression in 2018. Her health challenges were later compounded by the amputation of a finger in 2021 and wrist surgery in 2023. She was summarily dismissed in the same year.
Following her diagnosis, occupational therapist Al-Marie Botes conducted a series of assessments that found her anxiety and depression affected her productivity, workplace relationships and ability to cope with the demands of her role.
