An IT technician in Johannesburg wins R105,900 in compensation after being dismissed for refusing to take a polygraph test. The Johannesburg Labour Court rules that the employer does not establish a reasonable basis for ordering the test following the worker’s visit to a doctor and the submission of a sick note.
The court’s decision centres on whether the employer had grounds to require the polygraph and whether that requirement was justified in the circumstances. According to the report, the worker complies with medical documentation by reporting illness through a sick note, but the employer still proceeds to demand the polygraph.
The reporting focuses on the court’s findings on the fairness of the employer’s conduct and the dismissal outcome, with the central angle being that ordering a polygraph in this context is not supported by sufficient justification. No alternative angles from other outlets are provided in the supplied material.
