What the UI-19 does
The UI-19 is the Department of Employment and Labour's declaration of your employees for UIF purposes. You submit it when someone starts working for you, when they leave (dismissal, retrenchment, contract end, resignation), and when their details change. It's also the document a former employee's UIF claim lives or dies by: claims stall for months because an employer never submitted the termination UI-19 or filled the termination code wrong.
Construction employers deal with this constantly — project crews start and finish in waves. The BuildCape version lets you fill the declaration cleanly in your browser and keep a copy in each worker's file, so the information is ready whether you submit via uFiling or at a labour centre.
Getting it right
- Register as a UIF employer first — contributions (1% employee + 1% employer) are compulsory for almost all workers over 24 hours/month.
- Use the correct termination reason code; the code determines whether the worker can claim.
- Submit terminations promptly — your former worker cannot claim benefits until you do.
- Keep signed copies: pair with the employment contract and attendance records from the library.
Fill in the UIF Declaration (UI-19) now — free
Open the BuildCape Forms Library, find "UIF Declaration (UI-19)" and start typing. Works on your phone, on site.
Open the forms library →Common questions
Do casual construction workers need UIF?
Generally yes — UIF applies to employees working more than 24 hours a month, including most casual and fixed-term construction workers. Both you and the worker contribute 1% of remuneration.
My ex-worker says they can't claim UIF — is that my problem?
Very possibly. If you never submitted their termination UI-19, or used a wrong code, their claim is stuck. Submitting it promptly is a legal duty, and unresolved UI-19s are a common source of labour-department attention for construction employers.
Where do I submit the UI-19?
Online via uFiling (the practical choice for ongoing crews) or at a Department of Employment and Labour office. Either way, the form's information is the same — prepare it here, keep a copy, submit through your channel.
Related free forms
Forms in the BuildCape library are professional templates for South African construction businesses. They are not a substitute for legal advice — for high-stakes contracts, have your attorney review the final document. Running a growing team? The BuildCape Platform automates the registers, claims and payroll these forms feed into.