Booysendal operates in an area with a competitive labour market. This has recently resulted in higher employee turnover, especially for lower-level and critical skilled workers, who are attracted to new projects and local mining operations.

We already offer competitive employee compensation packages, so, in F2022, we reviewed our shift pattern with the aim of retaining and attracting employees, improving their work–life balance and reducing their fatigue levels.

Following the review, we changed our shift system to a 5 x 5 x 5 pattern: a shift works for ten days (two five-day shifts) followed by a full five days off. We introduced this new system in September 2022, to replace the previous threeshift cycle pattern, where employees worked from Monday to Friday.

Over nine months since introducing the new shift pattern, overall turnover at Booysendal has fallen by almost 36%, and for some individual roles, the reduction in turnover has been more than 50%. In addition, former employees are returning to join Booysendal.

The new system has been designed around circadian rhythms and helps to avoid fatigue at the end of a longer set of shift days, which is where we see a higher incidence of near misses and accidents.

Booysendal – turnover pre-shift cycle vs post-shift cycle change

Resignations – positions with most turn over pre-shift cycle change vs post-shift cycle change

Perseverance Malapile, Senior metallurgical operator at Zondereinde