Grievances, disciplinary action, retrenchments, CCMA — when something goes wrong, you need the right people on the phone within the hour. That's what we do.
South African labour law is unforgiving of the under-prepared. The LRA, BCEA, EE Act and POPIA each carry the kind of penalties that can wipe out a quarter. HR Labs gives you a labour-relations team on retainer — so the next disciplinary, the next CCMA referral, the next retrenchment is handled by people who do this every week.
The day-to-day stuff that turns into the big stuff if it's not handled early. We coach your managers, draft the letters, sit in on the hearings, and make sure the paper trail will stand up to scrutiny.
If a matter goes external, we go with you. Conciliation, arbitration, con-arb — represented by accredited labour practitioners who know the commissioners.
Section 189 / 189A processes done properly — the legal route, the consultation process, the selection criteria, the severance, the communication. Restructuring is hard enough without getting the procedure wrong.
The boring-but-critical foundation: contracts, policies, employment equity, skills development. We audit what you've got, fix what's broken, and keep it current as the law changes.
Whether you're negotiating with a recognised union or running an in-house consultation, we bring the data, structure the mandate, and chair the room.
Don't escalate verbally. Issue a written instruction confirming the request. If still refused, that's insubordination — proceed to a written warning and, if repeated, a disciplinary enquiry. Call us before you do anything in writing.
No — those are two different processes. Poor performance is incapacity (a fair procedure with a chance to improve). Retrenchment requires a genuine operational reason and a Section 189 consultation. Mixing them up is the fastest route to an unfair-dismissal finding.
If you employ 50+ staff (or fall under designated turnover thresholds), yes — annually by 15 January. We can audit, design, and submit on your behalf.
Fixed-fee per stage — drafting, conciliation, arbitration. We'll quote up front once we've seen the referral. Retainer clients get preferential rates.
A retainer means you have us on speed-dial — and on most days, you won't need to use it.