Agentic AI · LRA Schedule 8 compliant
Just explain the situation, NALA drafts a fully legal PIP.
South Africa's first agentic AI PIP system, with built-in escalation to the Disciplinary and CCMA modules. Tell NALA what is happening in plain English — missed targets, late arrivals, conduct issues — and the AI drafts a complete Performance Improvement Plan compliant with the BCEA, LRA Schedule 8 and CCMA fair-procedure requirements.
Ask NALA anything
A clear answer, in seconds
NALA · AI HR Assistant
Trained on SA labour law · Available 24/7
What is a Performance Improvement Plan?
Ask NALA another question
Agentic AI
It is not a template. It thinks.
Traditional HR software gives you a blank form. NALA reads the situation, applies South African labour law, and writes the entire PIP for you.
You explain in plain English
"Thabo has been late 12 times this quarter and missed his sales target by 40%." That is all NALA needs — no legal knowledge, no forms, no templates, no HR degree.
NALA thinks like an HR lawyer
The AI analyses your input against the BCEA, LRA Schedule 8 and thousands of CCMA case outcomes — identifying the correct concern level, drafting SMART goals, setting milestones and building a support plan in seconds.
You review and submit
NALA presents the full draft. Change any goal, timeline or support item. Once you are happy, submit — the PIP is timestamped, audit-trailed and CCMA-ready from day one.
What NALA generates automatically
The problem
Done wrong, PIPs lose CCMA cases. Done right, they protect you.
No documentation means a lost CCMA case
You run a PIP on verbal warnings. At the CCMA they say "nobody told me" and you have no proof — R85,000 gone. Synthro timestamps every conversation and stores every acknowledgment. Your evidence is ready.
Vague goals make PIPs useless
"Improve your attitude" is not a goal. Three months later nothing has changed and you cannot prove it. Synthro forces measurable goals with clear deadlines, so improvement is trackable, not subjective.
You forget to follow up
You set a PIP, get busy, and forget to check in. Three months pass and the employee says "nobody helped me" — the CCMA sides with them. Synthro schedules check-ins automatically and reminds you, so you never miss a meeting.
No way to prove progress (or the lack of it)
The employee claims they improved; you remember they did not; there are no records. The CCMA believes the employee. Synthro tracks every milestone with dates and notes — visual proof of what happened.
Unfair dismissal costs R85,000
The PIP fails, you dismiss, and at the CCMA you cannot prove a fair process. Synthro's audit trail shows warnings, check-ins and improvement deadlines — proving you did everything right.
No record of successful PIPs
An employee improves — great. Six months later the same issue returns. Did they actually improve last time? Synthro records successful completions and dates, so you know their full history.
The #1 reason employers lose
Poor performance is not misconduct.
LRA Schedule 8 splits dismissal into two completely different processes. Mix them up and you will lose at the CCMA, every time.
Misconduct (Track A)
The employee chose to do something wrong: theft, absenteeism, insubordination or harassment.
Tool: progressive discipline
- Verbal warning
- Written warning
- Final written warning
- Dismissal (after a formal hearing)
Lives in: Disciplinary Actions module
Incapacity / poor performance (Track B)
The employee cannot meet the standard: a skill gap, training need or aptitude. They did not choose to fail.
Tool: Performance Improvement Plan
- Initial concern (PIP opened)
- Recurring concern
- Final opportunity
- Incapacity inquiry (only after a fair improvement period)
Lives in: PIP module → escalates as Incapacity
Why this matters: most HR systems treat warning levels as one ladder, letting you give a "final written warning" for poor performance and then dismiss. That is procedurally unfair under LRA Schedule 8, and CCMA commissioners reverse it. Synthro keeps the two tracks separate by design and labels PIP severity as a "concern level" (initial / recurring / final opportunity), never a disciplinary warning.
How it works
From plain English to a compliant PIP, in under 60 seconds.
Explain the situation
Select the employee and describe what is happening in your own words: "missed three deadlines, late 12 times this quarter." No legal jargon needed.
NALA drafts the PIP
The agentic AI analyses your input, applies SA labour law (BCEA, LRA Schedule 8) and generates a full PIP: issues, SMART goals, support plan, milestones and reasoning.
You review and edit
NALA presents the complete draft. Change any goal, timeline or support item — accept what works, edit what does not. You have full control before anything is submitted.
Track and document
Once submitted, track milestones, log check-ins and assign action items. Every action is timestamped and audit-trailed — your CCMA evidence builds automatically.
Close out, or escalate fairly
Mark the PIP successful, extended or failed. If it failed, Synthro opens an incapacity inquiry pre-linked to the PIP — not a misconduct warning. If dismissal results, the CCMA dispute auto-links to your evidence chain.
PIP → incapacity inquiry → CCMA
When improvement does not happen, the evidence travels with you.
Most systems make you start over in another module. Synthro carries every signature, milestone and check-in straight through to the hearing — and to the CCMA, if it gets that far.
1. Close the PIP
When the review date arrives, mark the outcome: successful, extended or failed. If it failed, Synthro warns you what the LRA requires before you can dismiss.
2. Escalate as incapacity
One click opens an incapacity inquiry in the Disciplinary module. The category is locked to Incapacity, the PIP is pre-linked, and warning levels are restricted to Final Written or Dismissal — exactly as Schedule 8 prescribes.
3. CCMA dispute auto-linked
If the employee refers a dispute, "Log CCMA Dispute" is one button on the dismissal record. The PIP, every check-in note, the inquiry minutes and the signed outcome travel together as a single evidence chain.
What carries forward automatically
Ready to let AI handle your PIPs?
Just explain what is happening.
Book a personalised demo and see how Synthro fits your business. No commitment required.