Court sides with PSA after contract non-renewal and workplace complaint collide in HR dispute
A workplace showdown at the Public Service Association of SA Inc has put HR complaint handling and contract decisions under the microscope, with a federal court ruling on November 12, 2025.
Sarah Sangau, once an industrial officer at the PSA, took her employer to court after her fixed-term contract wasn’t renewed. She claimed the real reason for her exit was retaliation: she had complained to management about a colleague’s alleged bullying, and soon after, found herself out of a job. The PSA, for its part, said her work just wasn’t up to scratch and that her conduct had become disruptive.
Sangau’s contract began in June 2022 and was extended for six months in June 2023. The trouble, according to her complaint, started when she reported a co-worker, Nicole Connell, for aggressive behavior in August 2023. While the PSA substantiated her complaint, Sangau said management didn’t want to deal with the deeper issues. Instead, she alleged, she was singled out for discipline, while others who breached workplace rules faced little consequence.
Things escalated quickly. Sangau was suspended from her duties on August 25, 2023, after allegations surfaced that she had shared inappropriate material with colleagues and ignored a directive not to contact a co-worker during her suspension. She insisted these claims were baseless and were only raised after she spoke up about workplace bullying.
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