Services for Employers
A dismissal that fails at the CCMA usually fails on procedure. Sentinel keeps employer processes defensible, from the first charge sheet to the final written verdict.
Independent hearing chairperson services
A line manager chairing a hearing about their own subordinate creates a perception of bias that can unravel an otherwise valid process. Sentinel chairs disciplinary hearings and final incapacity inquiries: controlling the proceedings, applying Schedule 8 of the LRA, and delivering a reasoned written verdict that holds up under CCMA scrutiny.
An independent chairperson does not guarantee an outcome. It guarantees a defensible process, and that is the distinction that counts if the matter reaches arbitration.
| Engagement | Rate |
|---|---|
| Hourly, two hour minimum | R1,300 per hour |
| Half-day, four hours or less | R4,500 |
| Full day, 6 to 8 hours | R7,500 |
Preparation, evidence analysis and verdict drafting are included. You are billed for the hearing itself, on the “lesser of” principle: whichever single rate produces the lowest fee for the time actually worked. Rate tiers are never combined. Five hours is billed at five times R1,300, which is R6,500, never a half-day plus an hour.
Employment contracts, policies and handbooks
Your foundational documents are the first thing examined when a dismissal is challenged. We draft employment contracts, disciplinary codes, grievance procedures and supporting HR documentation under the LRA and the BCEA, built around your operation and the way your managers actually work.
- Single custom employment contract, R1,800
- Core Policy Package, covering the disciplinary code, grievance procedure and essential HR policies, R4,500
- Comprehensive Employee Handbook, R8,500
Labour compliance audit
A structured review of your contracts, policies, wages, working conditions, disciplinary records and BCEA compliance, delivered as a written report with findings and recommendations. It finds your exposure before an inspector or a commissioner does.
- 1 to 20 employees, R4,500
- 21 to 50 employees, R9,000
- More than 50 employees, R15,000
Poor work performance management
Poor performance is an incapacity matter under Schedule 8, handled differently from misconduct and unforgiving of shortcuts. Dismissal for poor performance needs evidence that the employee knew the standard, had a reasonable opportunity to meet it, received support, and failed to improve anyway. Skip a phase and you hand the employee the case.
Three phases, each available on its own.
- Assessment and documentation. We review the contract and job description, establish the standard and the gap, draft the PIP, and chair the alignment meeting. R4,500.
- Interim counselling and monitoring. We facilitate the interim PIP reviews independently and produce CCMA-ready minutes for every session. R2,200 a session.
- Final incapacity inquiry. Chaired independently by Sentinel where dismissal is contemplated, with the evidence and any medical reports evaluated and alternative placement assessed. R4,500 half-day, R7,500 full day.
Ad-hoc remote advisory
Professional guidance on a single question: a charge sheet review, a procedural query, a sanction decision. R1,000 per hour, billed in 15 minute increments, remote.
Retainers
A structured retainer for employers with recurring disciplinary or HR advisory needs is in development. In the meantime we set retainer arrangements up individually. Contact us to discuss what you need.
Our services and fees for employers
All fees are quoted in South African Rand (ZAR).
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Hearing chairperson, hourly (two hour minimum, billed per full hour commenced) | R1,300 per hour |
| Hearing chairperson, half-day (total engagement of four hours or less) | R4,500 |
| Hearing chairperson, full day (6 to 8 hours) | R7,500 |
| Single custom employment contract | R1,800 |
| Core Policy Package, key workplace policies | R4,500 |
| Comprehensive Employee Handbook | R8,500 |
| Labour compliance audit, small business (1 to 20 employees) | R4,500 |
| Labour compliance audit, medium business (21 to 50 employees) | R9,000 |
| Labour compliance audit, large business (more than 50 employees) | R15,000 |
| PWP Phase 1, PIP Launch Package | R4,500 |
| PWP Phase 2, interim counselling and monitoring (per session) | R2,200 per session |
| PWP Phase 3, final incapacity inquiry chairperson, half-day | R4,500 |
| PWP Phase 3, final incapacity inquiry chairperson, full day | R7,500 |
| Ad-hoc remote advisory, billed in 15 minute increments | R1,000 per hour |
Chairperson billing, the “lesser of” principle: for Hearing Chairperson and PWP Phase 3 engagements, the fee is calculated on actual hours worked, applying whichever single rate (hourly, half-day, or full-day) produces the lower total. Rate tiers are never combined. Fees are subject to annual review; the fee applicable to your engagement is the fee published at the time of payment. Full details are set out in our Terms and Conditions.