Labour Relations and Disciplinary Procedures in South Africa
A practical guide for HR practitioners and managers to South African labour law, fair discipline and dismissal, incapacity, retrenchment, CCMA disputes and collective relations, updated for the Dismissal Code of Good Practice: Dismissal.
Enrol in this Course
- 📦 5 modules
- 📹 20 lessons
- 📝 5 quizzes
- 🎓 Certificate on completion
- ♾ Learn at your own pace, online
South Africa has one of the most developed and protective labour law systems in the world. Employers who get dismissals, discipline or retrenchments wrong face CCMA referrals, reinstatement orders and compensation of up to 24 months’ pay. Managers who understand the rules can act firmly and fairly, with confidence.
This course gives HR practitioners, line managers, supervisors, shop stewards, business owners and disciplinary chairpersons a practical, structured understanding of South African labour relations, with a strong focus on running fair disciplinary processes. It focuses on the principles of fairness and the processes that the CCMA and courts apply, which remain stable even as specific figures change. The first lesson of each module covers the basics.
What you will learn
- The legal framework: the Constitution, LRA, BCEA, Employment Equity Act, minimum wage and Codes of Good Practice
- What counts as a dismissal, automatically unfair dismissals, and the requirements of substantive and procedural fairness
- How to manage misconduct: rules, progressive discipline, investigations, suspension, hearings and sanctions
- How to handle poor performance, ill health and retrenchments under sections 189 and 189A
- How disputes are resolved at the CCMA and bargaining councils, and the basics of unions, collective bargaining and strikes
How the course works
There are five modules, each with four lessons and a short quiz. You need 70% on each quiz to complete the course and earn your certificate.
About rates and figures
Time limits, compensation caps, leave entitlements and figures such as the national minimum wage and the BCEA earnings threshold are shown as examples of the law as at 2026, not fixed rules, and are expected to change. Lessons focus on principles and procedures. Figures are collected in one Course reference table at the end of the final lesson. Always confirm the current position through official channels such as the Department of Employment and Labour, the CCMA and the Government Gazette, and take professional advice on specific cases.
Course Curriculum
5 modules · 20 lessons · 5 quizzes
Module 1: The Legal Framework
- 1.1 The South African Labour Law Landscape (Start Here)
- 1.2 Basic Conditions of Employment
- 1.3 Leave, Parental Leave, Notice and Severance
- 1.4 Employment Equity, Harassment and Discrimination
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Module 1 Quiz Enrol to take
Module 2: Dismissal and Fairness
- 2.1 What Counts as a Dismissal (Start Here)
- 2.2 Automatically Unfair Dismissals
- 2.3 Substantive and Procedural Fairness
- 2.4 Unfair Labour Practices and Probation
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Module 2 Quiz Enrol to take
Module 3: Managing Misconduct
- 3.1 Workplace Rules and Progressive Discipline (Start Here)
- 3.2 Investigations and Precautionary Suspension
- 3.3 Running a Fair Disciplinary Hearing
- 3.4 Choosing the Right Sanction
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Module 3 Quiz Enrol to take
Module 4: Incapacity and Operational Requirements
- 4.1 Managing Poor Performance (Start Here)
- 4.2 Ill Health, Injury and Substance Abuse
- 4.3 Retrenchment under Section 189
- 4.4 Large-Scale Retrenchment under Section 189A
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Module 4 Quiz Enrol to take
Module 5: Disputes, the CCMA and Collective Relations
- 5.1 The Dispute Resolution Pathway (Start Here)
- 5.2 Conciliation, Arbitration and Remedies
- 5.3 Unions, Organisational Rights and Collective Bargaining
- 5.4 Strikes, Lock-Outs and Picketing
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Module 5 Quiz Enrol to take