Brian Kagiso Lebethe
Midrand
Summary
As an Employee Relations Specialist, I fulfil an integral role in the Human Capital value chain. I aim to build strong relationships between employees, managers and organised labour with a role that takes a proactive, strategic approach to employee relations by identifying trends and recommending solutions that address root cause of issues as well as partnering with leadership on execution. My function acts a key partner to leaders in driving employee relations strategies, while maintaining a neutral position within the organisation. I am furthermore a key role player includes strategic projects to continue building the employee relations function and developing processes, as well as building manager skill sets through workshops and interventions. Employee Relations Specialist successful at coaching managers on employee relations techniques, legal statutes and motivational strategies to build long-lasting and productive relationships. Encouraging, well-spoken and motivational leader with significant expertise in program leadership, process optimization and benchmarking. Proactive, performance-oriented and dedicated to facilitating cross-functional collaboration that strengthens business at all levels.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Employee Relations Specialist
Barloworld Equipment
07.2022 - Current
- Enhance the well-being of employee relations within the operation
- Employment Relations (ER) Strategy - Manage processes involved in implementation of the employee relations strategy
- Monitors and reports on specific ER outcomes and overall trends that impact on the ER strategy and the business decisions
- Relationships - Managing the processes involved in supporting formal trade union relationships
- Grievances and conflict - Manage processes to keep employees and managers advised of grievance handling procedures
- Disciplinary cases - Manage disciplinary processes to ensure a speedy resolution
- Monitors and advises to provide site capability and deliver processes to effectively implement all ER/IR policies and processes
- Control discipline and ensure fair decisions regarding Industrial Relations
- Restructuring - Ensures that agreements around restructuring are correctly recorded and implemented
- Maintains effective working relationships with other departments, internal and external agencies
- Monitor labour relations climate and identify risks and strategies to mitigate the risk
- Provide advice on all labour related matters and represent the company at relevant forums, e.g., CCMA, Labour Court
- Facilitate compliance on all labour relations acts, legislation, and processes
- Ensure that information on the ER systems is correct and conform to Barloworld Equipment policies by regularly auditing usage and application
- Support the training and development requirements of ER Team
Non-Executive Board Member (Board Chairperson)
Rustenburg Water Services Trust
Rustenburg
09.2022 - 09.2024
- Develop and execute comprehensive strategies that align with the entity's goals and objectives
- Lead, mentor, and direct a high-performing Board of Trustees, fostering a collaborative and results-driven environment
- Setting and implementing the entity’s direction and strategy
- Board and General meeting management
- Internal and External stakeholder engagement and management
Senior Employee Relations Specialist – Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining
Smollan South Africa
02.2020 - 02.2022
- Collective Bargaining: Facilitate Organisational Restructuring and Business Transfer Consultations;
- AdHoc Trade Union Engagements;
- Trade Union Membership Management;
- Effective Strike Management;
- Trade Union Correspondence and Litigation Management
- Management of Disciplinary Processes
- Develop and maintain standardised and simple disciplinary processes that are aligned to all legislation;
- Review and update disciplinary policies, processes and guidelines based on evolving labour law and best practice;
- Simplify, automate and standardise templates to improve process efficiency and TAT;
- Provide advice and guidance to the business on appropriate disciplinary charges and processes;
- Assist in handling of CCMA disputes and/or any relevant dispute resolution forum disputes;
- Upskill line management and HR teams on disciplinary processes;
- Manage relationships and monitor performance of outsourced vendors
- Effective Incapacity management
- Develop and maintain standardised and simple incapacity processes that are aligned to all legislation;
- Review and update incapacity policies, processes and guidelines based on evolving labour law and best practice;
- Simplify, automate and standardise templates to improve process efficiency and TAT;
- Provide advice and guidance to the business on appropriate processes relative to incapacity;
- Upskill line management and HR teams on incapacity processes;
- Manage relationships and monitor performance of outsourced vendors
- Management of Arbitrations and Department of Labour;
- Represent Smollan at CCMA proceedings;
- Centrally track and report on CCMA trends;
- Provide guidance and advice to HR representatives and line management on CCMA proceedings;
- Monitor settlement trends and advise on acceptable approaches;
- Ensure that CCMA awards are actioned in a timeous manner;
- Facilitate correspondence with CCMA with regards to: Condonation objections; Rescission applications/objections; Objections for conciliation or arbitration; Filing of closing arguments; Requests for telephonic conciliations; Ad hoc facilitations
- Facilitate interactions with the Department of Labour with regards to: Department of labour inspection; Employee referrals; Ad hoc queries
- IR Upskilling
- Ensure that IR training material is up-to-date;
- Initiate the scheduling of IR refresher training;
- Facilitate IR training and up-skilling at Group level;
- Update the business on recent developments pertaining to labour legislation;
- Coach and guide HR with regards to conciliations and arbitrations;
- Coach and guide HR and line management with regards to Smollan procedures pertaining to IR
Specialist: Employee Relations
SAA Technical
10.2018 - 02.2020
- Assist and support in the development and implementation of an employee relations strategy within budget and quality requirements to support the human resources and strategy and to provide strategic guidance on labour related issues and legislation;
- Assist and support to manage union relationships in ways that foster union collaboration;
- Assist and support in negotiations and consultations with labour in the Bargaining Council and in company-wide engagement structures
- Ensure that joint union and management forums function efficiently and effectively assist in the implementation and monitoring of collective agreements
- Assist and support the strategic management and oversight of employment law
- Assist in ensuring that discipline, grievance and disputes is applied consistently and managed efficiently, expeditiously and cost effectively
- Conduct, manage and oversee complex disciplinary matters, individual and collective labour law disputes and labour litigation
- Review complex investigation reports and advise on ER implications
- Provide strategic labour law advice to internal stakeholders
- Ensure the on-going development and improvement of the standard and quality of disciplinary, dispute and grievance management to reflect best practice and legal compliance
- Assist with the design, implementation, maintenance and ongoing improvement of an employee relations case management system with diagnostic and reporting capability
- Analyse and present relevant dispute resolution statistics to determine trends, formulate strategies to address weaknesses and monitor compliance with grievance, discipline and related policies
- Capacitate relevant internal stakeholders in all aspects of employee relations practice through the development of guidelines, training and other measures
- Develop and embed an internal research capability to provide up-to-date and relevant research and intelligence on all aspects of employee relations
- Review contracts, policies and procedures, and update and consolidate as and when required
- Compile strategic reports for key stakeholders including the group leadership team, and other forums employee relations matters
HR Specialist: Employee Relations, Employment Equity and Performance Management
Technology Innovation Agency
10.2015 - 04.2018
- Assisted with or chaired disciplinary and grievance hearings
- Facilitated poor performance / incapacity counselling meetings
- Drafted and negotiated disciplinary and workplace codes
- Negotiated recognition / access and procedural agreements
- Negotiated wage and substantive agreements
- Assisted in preparing for / or represented in mediation and arbitration proceedings (CCMA and bargaining councils), subject to the rules of the CCMA
- Guided employers through organizational restructuring exercises (retrenchments / redundancies / changed conditions of employment) and assisted with / led the consultation / negotiation processes
- Guided employers through strikes, go-slows, work-to-rule, lockouts, picketing and other industrial action
- Contract administration and interpretation
- Grievances
- Arbitration
- Managed and monitored union relations
- Workplace forums
- IR policy development
- Change management implementation
- Employment equity advisory and implementation
- In-house ER related training and workshops
- Alternative dispute resolution facilitations
- Change management strategy and implementation
- Employment equity strategy and implementation
- Performance management system implementation and process management
Employee Relations Specialist
South West Gauteng College
06.2015 - 09.2015
- Mediated or arbitrated discussions between parties in cases of labor disputes.
- Conducted investigations into workplace complaints and grievances.
- Negotiated collective bargaining agreements with labor unions representing employees.
ER Specialist
Nene and Lebethe Business Services
Rustenburg
08.2014 - 05.2015
- Reviewed internal complaints from employees regarding harassment or discrimination allegations; investigated claims thoroughly before taking corrective action when necessary.
- Investigated employee grievances and recommended appropriate actions based on collective bargaining terms.
- Provided advice and counsel to management on a range of ER issues such as performance management, conflict resolution, labor relations, and workplace safety.
- Assessed risk levels associated with collective bargaining strategies.
- Analyzed employee grievances and conducted investigations, providing guidance on disciplinary actions when appropriate.
- Collaborated with HR colleagues to develop policies related to compensation, benefits, recruitment, hiring, termination, diversity, inclusion.
HR/IR Consultant
Simbara Professional Services
05.2013 - 07.2014
- Led employee engagement surveys and focus groups to identify areas for improvement and enhance employee satisfaction.
- Implemented performance management systems, including performance appraisals and goal setting, to boost productivity.
- Worked cross-functionally to optimize efficiency and execute on HR business processes.
- Conducted workplace investigations to address allegations of harassment or discrimination, ensuring a safe work environment.
IR Consultant
LabourNet Johannesburg North
10.2011 - 04.2013
- Chairing of disciplinary inquires
- Drafting of judgements for clients
- Assist with the issuing of warnings to ensure compliance
- Drafting and implementing of policies
- Wage negotiations
- Strike Management
- Retrenchments
Candidate Attorney
WITS Law Clinic
01.2011 - 09.2011
- General Litigation, Debt Collection and Family Law
- Filing of documents at Courts etc.
- Compiling of legal documents
- Liaison with clients in both Afrikaans and English
- Magistrate’s Court appearances
Education
Certificate - Advanced Human Resources Management
UCT Getsmarter
01.2017
Bachelor of Laws -
University of the Witwatersrand
01.2010
Matric - English; Afrikaans; Accounting; Business Economics; Economics
Dalpark Learning Academy
01.2005
Skills
- Employee Relations Consulting
- Labour law litigation
- Arbitration
- Conciliation
- Training and Development
- Performance Management
- Dispute Resolution
- Arbitration procedures
- Collective bargaining negotiation
- Governance, Risk and Compliance
Languages
English, Afrikaans, IsiZulu, Setswana, Sesotho, isiXHosa
Personal Information
Date of Birth: 09/21/87
Timeline
Non-Executive Board Member (Board Chairperson)
Rustenburg Water Services Trust
09.2022 - 09.2024
Employee Relations Specialist
Barloworld Equipment
07.2022 - Current
Senior Employee Relations Specialist – Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining
Smollan South Africa
02.2020 - 02.2022
Specialist: Employee Relations
SAA Technical
10.2018 - 02.2020
HR Specialist: Employee Relations, Employment Equity and Performance Management
Technology Innovation Agency
10.2015 - 04.2018
Employee Relations Specialist
South West Gauteng College
06.2015 - 09.2015
ER Specialist
Nene and Lebethe Business Services
08.2014 - 05.2015
HR/IR Consultant
Simbara Professional Services
05.2013 - 07.2014
IR Consultant
LabourNet Johannesburg North
10.2011 - 04.2013
Candidate Attorney
WITS Law Clinic
01.2011 - 09.2011
Certificate - Advanced Human Resources Management
UCT Getsmarter
Bachelor of Laws -
University of the Witwatersrand
Matric - English; Afrikaans; Accounting; Business Economics; Economics
Dalpark Learning Academy
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