Received CCMA papers? Start with the facts.

Do these five things first

1. Read every page and write down the hearing date, case number and type of matter.
2. Keep the referral and every notice. Do not alter messages, payroll records, CCTV, attendance data or other evidence.
3. Make one simple timeline: employment start date, key conversations, warnings, meetings, termination date and any payment made.
4. Collect the signed contract, policies, payslips, attendance records, messages and meeting notes that relate to the matter.
5. Get labour-law advice promptly, especially for a dismissal, discrimination, retrenchment, whistleblowing claim or complicated facts.

About deadlines

Deadlines differ by dispute type. For example, an alleged unfair-dismissal referral is generally made within 30 days, while other claims can have different time limits. Do not calculate a deadline from this page, read your CCMA notice and check the current CCMA rules. Late referrals may need condonation.

Read the CCMA’s current referral and condonation guidance →

Your rights at the CCMA, whichever side you are on

The CCMA (Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration) is free to use and you do not need a lawyer. Both sides have the same basic rights: to be told the case against you, to see the documents the other side relies on, to bring witnesses, to be heard before a decision, and to get the decision in writing with reasons.

• If you were dismissed: you have 30 days from the dismissal to refer an unfair dismissal dispute (90 days for an unfair labour practice). Fill in the LRA Form 7.11, serve a copy on the employer, and keep proof of service. If you are late, ask for condonation and explain why.
• If you are the employer: you have to show the dismissal was for a fair reason and followed a fair procedure. That means a chronology, the warnings or charges, the hearing notice, the minutes, and the letter of outcome. Missing paperwork loses more cases than bad facts do.
• At conciliation: a commissioner tries to settle it. Nothing said there can be used later, so it is safe to talk. Most cases settle here.
• At arbitration: the commissioner hears evidence and decides. Bring originals, three copies of every document, and your witnesses. Lawyers are only allowed with permission in most dismissal cases.

Get your file in order, free

Start with the free checklist. It asks what happened, what you have on paper and what is missing, and gives you a file order for the hearing. No signup, and the answers stay on your phone.

Only buy what you are missing. A CCMA notice in language you do not follow: Explain my letter, R150. An employer whose warnings, hearing notice and outcome letter are not on file: the disciplinary and warnings pack, R450, a single document set, not the full employer pack. Facing a retrenchment: the retrenchment pack, R450. None of this is representation and none of it guarantees a result.