Labour law | Meet Andi Friedman

By The Training Team

We have asked one of our past UCT Practical Labour Law Course students a few questions...

Andi Friedman, Managing Director of Clyral - Web and Mobile Software Development

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am a computer engineer. After leaving University I worked for a corporate IT company in the high tech and computer sector until the entrepreneurial bug bit. I left to co-found Clyral. I've been the Managing Director there for just over 4 years and during that time it has grown to a staff compliment of 16 people.

What was your motivation for enrolling in the UCT Practical Labour Law Course?
There were two reasons: We don't have a dedicated HR person in our company and with the myriad of legal and socio economic considerations one must bear in mind when dealing with staff I felt it was prudent to understand labour law. The second reason was that we were launching a new initiative that blurred the lines between employee and independent contractor and felt I needed to understand the basis of this employment relationship. 

What did you enjoy about the course?
The course notes were accessible. The staff were friendly and went out of their way to meet my requests. I had just purchased a Kindle device and the staff happily assisted me in formatting the notes so that I could read them while I was away on business. The practice quizzes were very useful and the course convener answered my questions timeously.
 
How has this course helped you?
Since I completed the course I have been able to isolate areas in my business which needed review and improvement, such as employment contracts. It has enabled me to draw up policy documents for employee protocols. It has also helped me in asking the right questions when approaching employment for new business ventures.

Click here for more information on the UCT (Law@Work) Practical Labour Law Course.

Back to SmartyPants Newsletter - March 2010 Edition