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Affirmative action

Lawful measures to advance designated groups under employment equity rules.

Annual leave

Paid yearly leave entitlement.

Arbitration

Formal dispute hearing where a commissioner can make a binding labour award.

Arbitration Award

Binding written decision issued after arbitration.

Automatically Unfair Dismissal

Dismissal for a prohibited reason such as pregnancy, union activity, or protected rights.

Bargaining council

Sector body that may handle disputes and collective labour matters.

Basic Conditions of Employment Act

Law setting minimum employment conditions such as hours, leave, and notice.

Benefits dispute

Dispute about employment benefits that may fall under unfair labour practice rules.

CCMA

Public body that helps resolve workplace disputes through conciliation and arbitration.

CCMA rescission

Application to set aside a CCMA ruling or award in limited circumstances.

CCMA Review

Labour Court process used to challenge a CCMA award on review grounds.

Certificate of outcome

CCMA document confirming whether conciliation resolved the dispute.

COIDA

Compensation system for employees injured or made ill through work.

Con-arb

Combined conciliation and arbitration process, often scheduled on the same day.

Conciliation

Settlement-focused meeting where a commissioner helps parties try to resolve a labour dispute.

Condonation

Request for permission to proceed after missing a legal deadline.

Constructive Dismissal

Resignation because continued employment became intolerable.

Deductions from remuneration

Amounts taken from wages, allowed only under legal or agreed conditions.

Demotion

Reduction in status, role, responsibility, or pay.

Disciplinary Hearing

Workplace hearing used to consider alleged misconduct or other disciplinary issues.

Dismissal For Misconduct

Termination of employment because of alleged misconduct.

Employment equity plan

Employer plan for equity measures where required.

Employment Lawyer

A legal professional or search category connected to labour law work.

Equal pay for equal value

Principle that unfair pay differences for equal-value work can be discriminatory.

Family responsibility leave

Leave for specified family events such as child illness or death of close family.

Incapacity dismissal

Dismissal linked to inability to perform, illness, injury, or incapacity.

Labour Appeal Court

Appeal court for labour-law judgments.

Labour Court

Specialist court that hears labour and employment disputes.

Labour Lawyer

A legal professional or search category connected to labour law work.

LRA Form 7.11

CCMA referral form used to start many labour disputes.

LRA Form 7.13

Form commonly used to request arbitration after failed conciliation.

Maternity leave

Leave connected to pregnancy and childbirth.

National minimum wage

Lowest hourly wage generally allowed by law, subject to official updates.

Notice period

Minimum notice required to terminate employment.

Occupational detriment

Workplace retaliation linked to protected disclosure.

Operational Requirements

Business-related reasons that may justify retrenchment.

Ordinary hours of work

Regular working hours before overtime rules apply.

Overtime

Work beyond ordinary hours, usually requiring extra pay or agreement.

Parental leave

Leave available to qualifying parents after birth or adoption-related events.

Poor Performance Dismissal

Dismissal based on alleged failure to meet performance standards.

Precautionary suspension

Suspension used to protect an investigation or workplace process.

Probation dispute

Unfair treatment connected to probation short of dismissal.

Procedural Fairness In Dismissal

Fair process required before dismissal.

Promotion dispute

Dispute about unfair conduct in promotion decisions.

Protected disclosure

Whistleblowing disclosure protected by law.

Retrenchment

No-fault dismissal due to operational requirements.

Section 189 Consultation

Consultation process required for many retrenchments.

Section 189A facilitation

CCMA-facilitated process for large-scale retrenchments.

Settlement agreement

Written agreement resolving a labour or employment dispute.

Severance Pay

Payment that may be due to an employee retrenched for operational requirements.

Sexual harassment at work

Unwelcome sexual conduct in the workplace.

Sick leave

Paid leave when an employee is medically unable to work.

Substantive Fairness In Dismissal

Fair reason required for dismissal.

UIF

Unemployment Insurance Fund benefits system for qualifying workers.

Unfair discrimination at work

Unfair workplace treatment based on prohibited or arbitrary grounds.

Unfair Dismissal

Dismissal without a fair reason or fair procedure.

Unfair Labour Practice

Certain unfair employer conduct involving promotion, demotion, benefits, suspension, or discipline.

Workplace Harassment

Unwanted workplace conduct that undermines dignity, safety, or equality.

Workplace Suspension

Temporary removal from work while an issue is investigated or managed.

Written particulars of employment

Written information about key job terms that employers must provide.

Core definitions

Core terms in this track

CCMA

Public body that helps resolve workplace disputes through conciliation and arbitration.

Conciliation

Settlement-focused meeting where a commissioner helps parties try to resolve a labour dispute.

Arbitration

Formal dispute hearing where a commissioner can make a binding labour award.

Unfair Dismissal

Dismissal without a fair reason or fair procedure.

Retrenchment

No-fault dismissal due to operational requirements.

LRA Form 7.11

CCMA referral form used to start many labour disputes.

Condonation

Request for permission to proceed after missing a legal deadline.

Arbitration Award

Binding written decision issued after arbitration.

CCMA Review

Labour Court process used to challenge a CCMA award on review grounds.

Labour Court

Specialist court that hears labour and employment disputes.

Automatically Unfair Dismissal

Dismissal for a prohibited reason such as pregnancy, union activity, or protected rights.

Constructive Dismissal

Resignation because continued employment became intolerable.

Dismissal For Misconduct

Termination of employment because of alleged misconduct.

Poor Performance Dismissal

Dismissal based on alleged failure to meet performance standards.

Operational Requirements

Business-related reasons that may justify retrenchment.

Section 189 Consultation

Consultation process required for many retrenchments.

Severance Pay

Payment that may be due to an employee retrenched for operational requirements.

Procedural Fairness In Dismissal

Fair process required before dismissal.

Substantive Fairness In Dismissal

Fair reason required for dismissal.

Disciplinary Hearing

Workplace hearing used to consider alleged misconduct or other disciplinary issues.

Workplace Suspension

Temporary removal from work while an issue is investigated or managed.

Unfair Labour Practice

Certain unfair employer conduct involving promotion, demotion, benefits, suspension, or discipline.

Workplace Harassment

Unwanted workplace conduct that undermines dignity, safety, or equality.

Labour Lawyer

A legal professional or search category connected to labour law work.

Employment Lawyer

A legal professional or search category connected to labour law work.

Annual leave

Paid yearly leave entitlement.

Basic Conditions of Employment Act

Law setting minimum employment conditions such as hours, leave, and notice.

Deductions from remuneration

Amounts taken from wages, allowed only under legal or agreed conditions.

Maternity leave

Leave connected to pregnancy and childbirth.

National minimum wage

Lowest hourly wage generally allowed by law, subject to official updates.

Notice period

Minimum notice required to terminate employment.

Ordinary hours of work

Regular working hours before overtime rules apply.

Overtime

Work beyond ordinary hours, usually requiring extra pay or agreement.

Sexual harassment at work

Unwelcome sexual conduct in the workplace.

Sick leave

Paid leave when an employee is medically unable to work.

UIF

Unemployment Insurance Fund benefits system for qualifying workers.

Unfair discrimination at work

Unfair workplace treatment based on prohibited or arbitrary grounds.

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All terms

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CCMA

Public body that helps resolve workplace disputes through conciliation and arbitration.

Conciliation

Settlement-focused meeting where a commissioner helps parties try to resolve a labour dispute.

Arbitration

Formal dispute hearing where a commissioner can make a binding labour award.

Unfair Dismissal

Dismissal without a fair reason or fair procedure.

Retrenchment

No-fault dismissal due to operational requirements.

LRA Form 7.11

CCMA referral form used to start many labour disputes.

Condonation

Request for permission to proceed after missing a legal deadline.

Arbitration Award

Binding written decision issued after arbitration.

CCMA Review

Labour Court process used to challenge a CCMA award on review grounds.

Labour Court

Specialist court that hears labour and employment disputes.

Automatically Unfair Dismissal

Dismissal for a prohibited reason such as pregnancy, union activity, or protected rights.

Constructive Dismissal

Resignation because continued employment became intolerable.

Dismissal For Misconduct

Termination of employment because of alleged misconduct.

Poor Performance Dismissal

Dismissal based on alleged failure to meet performance standards.

Operational Requirements

Business-related reasons that may justify retrenchment.

Section 189 Consultation

Consultation process required for many retrenchments.

Severance Pay

Payment that may be due to an employee retrenched for operational requirements.

Procedural Fairness In Dismissal

Fair process required before dismissal.

Substantive Fairness In Dismissal

Fair reason required for dismissal.

Disciplinary Hearing

Workplace hearing used to consider alleged misconduct or other disciplinary issues.

Workplace Suspension

Temporary removal from work while an issue is investigated or managed.

Unfair Labour Practice

Certain unfair employer conduct involving promotion, demotion, benefits, suspension, or discipline.

Workplace Harassment

Unwanted workplace conduct that undermines dignity, safety, or equality.

Labour Lawyer

A legal professional or search category connected to labour law work.

Employment Lawyer

A legal professional or search category connected to labour law work.

Affirmative action

Lawful measures to advance designated groups under employment equity rules.

Annual leave

Paid yearly leave entitlement.

Bargaining council

Sector body that may handle disputes and collective labour matters.

Basic Conditions of Employment Act

Law setting minimum employment conditions such as hours, leave, and notice.

Benefits dispute

Dispute about employment benefits that may fall under unfair labour practice rules.

CCMA rescission

Application to set aside a CCMA ruling or award in limited circumstances.

Certificate of outcome

CCMA document confirming whether conciliation resolved the dispute.

COIDA

Compensation system for employees injured or made ill through work.

Con-arb

Combined conciliation and arbitration process, often scheduled on the same day.

Deductions from remuneration

Amounts taken from wages, allowed only under legal or agreed conditions.

Demotion

Reduction in status, role, responsibility, or pay.

Employment equity plan

Employer plan for equity measures where required.

Equal pay for equal value

Principle that unfair pay differences for equal-value work can be discriminatory.

Family responsibility leave

Leave for specified family events such as child illness or death of close family.

Incapacity dismissal

Dismissal linked to inability to perform, illness, injury, or incapacity.

Labour Appeal Court

Appeal court for labour-law judgments.

LRA Form 7.13

Form commonly used to request arbitration after failed conciliation.

Maternity leave

Leave connected to pregnancy and childbirth.

National minimum wage

Lowest hourly wage generally allowed by law, subject to official updates.

Notice period

Minimum notice required to terminate employment.

Occupational detriment

Workplace retaliation linked to protected disclosure.

Ordinary hours of work

Regular working hours before overtime rules apply.

Overtime

Work beyond ordinary hours, usually requiring extra pay or agreement.

Parental leave

Leave available to qualifying parents after birth or adoption-related events.

Precautionary suspension

Suspension used to protect an investigation or workplace process.

Probation dispute

Unfair treatment connected to probation short of dismissal.

Promotion dispute

Dispute about unfair conduct in promotion decisions.

Protected disclosure

Whistleblowing disclosure protected by law.

Section 189A facilitation

CCMA-facilitated process for large-scale retrenchments.

Settlement agreement

Written agreement resolving a labour or employment dispute.

Sexual harassment at work

Unwelcome sexual conduct in the workplace.

Sick leave

Paid leave when an employee is medically unable to work.

UIF

Unemployment Insurance Fund benefits system for qualifying workers.

Unfair discrimination at work

Unfair workplace treatment based on prohibited or arbitrary grounds.

Written particulars of employment

Written information about key job terms that employers must provide.

Related resources

Resources connected to this track

Browse resources

Checklist

CCMA Checklist

Preparation checklist for CCMA referral, conciliation, and arbitration steps.

Preparation Pack

Dismissal Evidence Pack

Evidence planning pack for dismissal disputes and workplace disciplinary records.

Checklist

Retrenchment Checklist

Checklist for gathering consultation, selection criteria, severance, and retrenchment process documents.

Checklist

Disciplinary Hearing Checklist

Checklist for preparing notices, evidence, witnesses, timelines, and questions before a disciplinary hearing.

Preparation Pack

Labour Lawyer South Africa Preparation Checklist

Preparation pack for labour-law consultations, CCMA issues, dismissal timelines, workplace documents, and fee questions.

Preparation Pack

Labour Lawyer Preparation Checklist

Checklist for organising workplace facts, employment records, dates, witnesses, and CCMA or Labour Court questions.