Payroll services
Leave administration for South African employers
Leave is a liability, a compliance obligation and a payroll input all at once. Patuza administers leave cycles, accruals and balances in line with the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and your own policy, and feeds the results straight into payroll.
Leave types administered
- Annual leave, including accrual method, leave cycles and carry-over rules
- Sick leave over the three-year sick leave cycle
- Family responsibility leave
- Maternity leave and parental leave, including unpaid periods and UIF-related documentation
- Study, unpaid and policy-specific leave types
Balances employees and managers can trust
Leave balances appear on the payslip and in management reports, calculated from applications actually approved. Where a policy allows leave to be taken in advance or forfeited after a set period, those rules are configured rather than tracked manually.
Leave and payroll integration
Approved leave affects pay: unpaid leave reduces gross earnings, leave paid out on termination is taxable remuneration, and leave taken changes the value of the accrued leave provision. Because leave and payroll processing run on the same data, none of that requires re-keying.
Leave records and audit evidence
The BCEA requires employers to keep records of leave taken and leave paid. Patuza retains an application-level history per employee, which is also the evidence you need for a payroll audit, a CCMA matter or a leave provision review by your auditors.
Frequently asked questions
How much annual leave is an employee entitled to?
The BCEA sets a minimum annual leave entitlement per leave cycle, which employers may improve on by contract or policy. Patuza configures the statutory minimum or your enhanced entitlement, whichever applies, and applies it consistently.
How does the sick leave cycle work?
Sick leave is granted over a three-year cycle rather than annually, with a limited entitlement during the first months of employment. Balances therefore carry across years and must be tracked by cycle start date, not by calendar year.
Is leave paid out on termination?
Accrued but untaken annual leave must be paid out on termination and is treated as remuneration for payroll and tax purposes. Patuza calculates the payout and includes it in the final pay and the employee's tax certificate.
Can employees see their own leave balances?
Yes. Balances are shown on payslips and can be made available through employee self-service, which reduces the volume of leave queries reaching your HR and payroll staff.
Patuza administers leave cycles, balances and payouts in line with the BCEA and your policy, integrated with every pay run.
Book a consultationRelated services
- Employee administration →
Employee records, onboarding, changes, banking details and statutory data kept accurate and secure.
- Payroll processing →
Monthly and weekly payroll processing, calculations, payslips and statutory deductions.
- Payroll reporting →
Cost, variance, management and reconciliation reporting from every payroll cycle.
Related topics
Related insights
- BCEA leave calculator →
Annual, sick and family responsibility leave entitlements.
- Payroll calculators →
PAYE, leave, overtime and 13th-cheque tools.