About ARMS, the Employers’ Association for Labour Matters for Employers of All Sizes
Welcome to the website of ARMS, the employers’ association for labour matters for businesses of all sizes. You have found this website, most likely, because you are fed up, frustrated, and have questions about your rights regarding staff matters, discipline in the workplace, or you are seeking advice on retrenchment. Well you’ve come to the right place.
Why I Started ARMS
In 1999, I recognised that small and medium-sized employers commonly face a huge challenge in their business. Business owners often fulfil multiple roles: from doing sales and marketing, ordering stock, managing production, engaging customers, doing necessary admin tasks, trying to grow their business to managing staff. Time is their scarcest commodity. As a result, when things go wrong, stress levels soar, and employers feel a loss of control in their businesses.
Probably the biggest day-to-day challenge is having to deal with staff. Issues such as misconduct, excessive absenteeism, poor performance, negligence and general low engagement are daily challenges. Many employers feel helpless and dread having to go to their own business premises daily.
Small and medium employers often don’t have the finances or capacity to employ a full time HR Manager but are still faced with a desperate need for professional and affordable advice. I decided at that time, along with about 35 companies, to form an employers’ association with the purpose of the association being to assist employers manage their staff issues.
With the Labour Relations Act weighing in favour of employees, many employers, at that time and even more so today, face serious challenges to manage and discipline employees fairly and dismiss unrepentant employees. The burden of this in terms of time, stress and money cannot really be quantified.
ARMS, an employers’ association registered with the Department of Employment and Labour exists for the benefit of assisting its members in all employment law and related matters at very affordable cost. You, too, can be a member of ARMS and enjoy the benefits that we offer.
How Membership in ARMS Employers’ Association Can Benefit You
- Working closely with our members, we ensure that we have a thorough understanding of their business needs;
- Unlimited telephonic advice on all labour related matters;
- Chairing of disciplinary, grievance and appeal hearings at your premises and online;
- Representation of members at the CCMA and Bargaining Councils in any conciliation and arbitration process;
- Assistance with retrenchment procedures;
- Training in disciplinary hearings, incapacity hearings, and presentation of cases at the CCMA and Bargaining Council;
- We ensure that our members have access to legally accurate HR documents that no business should be without;
- We provide our members with updates on changes in labour legislation;
- Liaising and engagement with trade unions on recognition agreements in the workplace, wage negotiations, etc
Read more about the services we provide.
Our Philosophy and Approach
- Provide a very quick response time with professional and accurate legal advice when needed;
- Respond to members’ needs for meetings or hearings very quickly to mitigate the adverse effects of unresolved workplace conflict and misconduct;
- We want you to have peace of mind that your labour issues are being taken care of by the best professionals so that you can focus on the core aspects of growing your business to make it more profitable.
20 years later our members will testify to our skill, professionalism, response time and that we actually do care about their businesses. We stand alongside our members because we know and understand the challenges faced by employers in South Africa. We build relationships with our members and this ensures a mutually satisfying and beneficial relationship.
Since 1999 our membership has grown steadily and we represent companies across all industries, as well as large businesses and corporates. We employ only the best and experienced employment law specialists for your peace mind.
Call us today for a meeting at your premises to discuss the challenges you face and for us to explain how we can provide the solutions you need. If you are ready to become part of the ARMS family, you can start your application process here.
