For dismissed employees in South Africa

Know your chances before you file your CCMA case.

Answer questions about your dismissal. FairCase weighs them against the Labour Relations Act and gives you a probability score, a realistic settlement range, and exactly what to do next. In minutes, not months.

POPIA-protectedEncryptedBuilt on the LRA

Your report

0/ 100
High probability of success
Estimated settlementR48,000 to R96,000
Procedural fairness
31/35
Substantive fairness
22/30
Your profile
14/20
Evidence
11/15

Illustrative example. Your score is calculated from your own answers.

R249Once-off. A fraction of one consultation hour.
5 minTo complete the assessment.
30 daysYour dismissal deadline. Other disputes get longer. We track yours.

How it works

Four steps. The same questions a labour lawyer would ask you first.

1

Tell us about you

Your job, salary, years of service and union status. Pre-filled from your account where we can.

2

Describe the dismissal

What reason was given, whether a hearing was held, and the circumstances in your own words.

3

Add your documents

Contract, dismissal letter, payslips. The more you add, the stronger your assessment.

4

Get your report

Your probability score, settlement range and CCMA preparation guide, generated for your case the moment you unlock it.

FairCase in about a minute

A short film on what happens after a dismissal, what the 30 day clock means, and what your R249 report gives you. Nothing downloads until you press play.

Read the video transcript

You were dismissed.

Maybe it was fair. Maybe it was not. Nobody tells you which.

30 days. That is how long you have to refer an unfair dismissal to the CCMA. The clock starts the day you were dismissed. Not the day you were paid out, and not the day you found another job.

Check your date. It is free and takes about a minute.

01. Tell us what happened. About five minutes of questions. No account, no phone call, no office visit.

02. R249, once off. Opening a file with a labour attorney can cost R3,500, before anything happens on your case.

03. Read your report. In your inbox, in writing, yours to keep.

What R249 gets you. The whole picture, in writing:

  • Probability score out of 100, calculation shown
  • Settlement range
  • Procedural and substantive fairness analysis
  • The legal principles matched to your facts
  • The honest risks in your case
  • LRA 7.11 referral details and conciliation guidance

If your case is weak, the report says so.

We are not a law firm. We do not represent you at the CCMA. We tell you where you stand and what the law says.

FairCase. CCMA case assessment for dismissed South African workers. faircase.co.za

FairCase provides information, not legal advice.

The clock started the day you were dismissed.

The law sets a strict window to refer your dispute to the CCMA, and the length depends on the type of case. Pick your date and dispute type below and see exactly where you stand.

Look on your payslip for a deduction with a name like MIBCO, MEIBC, NBCRFLI, or a council levy. Many workers in motor, metal, engineering, road freight, building, clothing, furniture, security and catering have one. If you are not sure, choose Not sure.

When did it happen?

Pick the date and dispute type and see exactly where you stand. Dismissal disputes must be referred within 30 days (LRA s191(1)(b)(i)).

Start my assessment

Deadlines differ by dispute type: dismissal 30 days, unfair labour practice 90 days, unfair discrimination that is not a dismissal 6 months. Days include weekends and public holidays. If you appealed internally, your dismissal clock may run from your employer’s final decision on the appeal. For an unfair labour practice it may run from the date you became aware. A dismissal on a discriminatory ground runs on the 30 day dismissal clock, not the 6 month one. The assessment works this out for you.

What your report contains

Everything below is generated from your answers, for your case.

Probability score out of 100

High, moderate or low, with the full calculation shown

Substantive fairness analysis

Was there a valid reason to dismiss you?

Procedural fairness analysis

Did your employer follow a fair process?

Settlement range estimate

Based on your salary, service and the legal caps

Automatically unfair check

Pregnancy, union activity and other section 187 grounds

What the law says about your case

The Act and the 2025 Code, applied to your situation

CCMA referral details, ready to copy

Every field the LRA 7.11 form asks for

Honest risks and next steps

What the employer will argue, and what to do about it

One price. No subscription.

R249

once-off, per report

  • Full probability assessment with the calculation shown
  • Settlement range based on your salary and service
  • CCMA referral details ready to copy onto Form 7.11
  • Downloadable PDF you can take to a lawyer or union
  • Registering and completing the assessment is free. Pay only to unlock.
Start my assessment

Secure payment via PayFast. For comparison, a single labour attorney consultation typically costs R800 to R1,500.

Straight answers

No. FairCase is an automated assessment based on the information you provide, built on the Labour Relations Act and CCMA guidelines. It helps you understand your position and prepare, but it is not a law firm and no attorney-client relationship is created. For legal advice on your specific situation, speak to an attorney or your union.

You will be told honestly. The value of the report is a realistic assessment, not cheerleading. A low score with clear reasons can save you months of stress and help you decide whether settling early or walking away is the better path.

Your details are encrypted and processed under POPIA. We never share your information with your employer, and we never sell it. Your ID number is locked to your account so nobody can run an assessment in your name. The trusted providers that run FairCase are listed in our Privacy Policy.

Most people finish in about five minutes; ten if you upload several documents. Your report is generated the moment you unlock it.

The Labour Relations Act requires unfair dismissal disputes to be referred to the CCMA within 30 days of your dismissal, or within 30 days of your employer’s final decision to dismiss you or to uphold the dismissal if that came later (LRA s191(1)(b)(i)). So if you appealed internally, your 30 days may run from the appeal outcome rather than from the dismissal. A referral outside that window goes in with a condonation application, which the CCMA may permit where good cause is shown, at any time (LRA s191(2)). It does not have to. FairCase tracks your deadline from the moment you enter your dates. Other dispute types have different windows: 90 days for unfair labour practices, running from the act or from the date you became aware of it if that was later (LRA s191(1)(b)(ii)), and six months for an unfair discrimination dispute that is not a dismissal (EEA s10). A dismissal on a discriminatory ground is not on that six month clock: it is a dismissal, and it runs on the 30 days above. The deadline checker works this out for your case.

Free guides: Plain answers about CCMA referrals, deadlines and hearings.

You were dismissed. Find out if it was fair.

Start my assessment

Free to register. Five minutes to complete.