A petrol station cashier in Maitland says she was forced to resign after her manager questioned how she could afford a car and demanded access to her bank statements.
According to News24, the woman had saved for nearly a year to buy a second-hand vehicle. What should have been a proud milestone quickly turned into a workplace dispute when her employer insisted she explain the purchase. She was allegedly told to submit her full bank statement or hand in her resignation.
Feeling pressured and without legal support at the time, she resigned.
The incident gained traction on social media after the National Insourced Workers Union shared the case, calling it a violation of privacy and a serious abuse of power in the workplace. The union is now assisting the former employee in pursuing the matter further.
Labour law specialists say that while employers may investigate financial misconduct in cases involving theft or fraud, they must have credible grounds. Labour law prohibits employers from demanding personal financial records without legal cause or an internal disciplinary process.
Nomusa Khumalo, a labour rights advocate, explained: ‘Employees are not required to disclose private bank records unless there is a formal inquiry backed by evidence. A car purchase alone does not justify that level of intrusion.’
The employer has not commented publicly. It remains unclear whether a formal complaint has been filed with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
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