How to choose your Labour Expert
HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR LABOUR EXPERT
It is extremely difficult to find and choose a labour expert who suits your needs and who knows what he/she is doing due to the following possible reasons
- The lay business manager does not always know enough about the law to assess whether the ‘specialist’ truly is a labour law expert.
- There are many “so-called labour experts” around. Adverts you see may look impressive but could be exaggerated
- The recommendation you get may be from the consultant’s friend!!
- The consultant’s fee may be so low that it could cloud your judgement. If this is the case this should immediately ring the alarm bells.
The best you can do is to ensure that the labour expert you choose:
- Has a tertiary qualification in
- the labour relations or
- human resources field or
- Law
- Has substantial experience as a labour law practitioner i.e.
- He/she has defended successfully companies in similar or other cases
- He/she has got the practical experience to defend your company and not just written articles on how to become successful
- Has a solid background in corporate industrial relations management
- Has access to the latest labour statutes and to case law decisions
- Charges a fee that is not suspiciously low or extremely high but that is affordable in terms of your own budget.
- Is willing to be available as soon as you need him and not just decides which problem areas is easy to attend to and then be available.
- Does not charge hidden fees when you have an emergency and need him/her.
- Provides the full spectrum of labour law and industrial relations services including:
- Chairing of disciplinary hearings
- Representation of employers at CCMA and bargaining councils
- Labour relations consultation, labour litigation and legal advice
- Review and drafting of employment contracts
- Retrenchment, restructuring
- Drafting of outsourcing agreements
- Negotiating and drafting union recognition agreements
- Union wage negotiations
- Strike assistance
- Implementation of employment equity and assistance thereof.
- Does your labour expert know when to say no to a case? i.e.
- Do you actually have a case or is the labour expert here for the “ride”
- Does your labour expert have the integrity to tell you that you have made a mistake and that you would be paying him unnecessary fees?