Legal
Terms and Conditions of Subscription and Use
Effective Date: 31 October 2026
These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") regulate the subscription to and use of the labour information, support, referral and related services provided by Clearline Labour Advisory (Pty) Ltd (registration number 2026/703740/07), trading as ClearLine Labour Advisory("Clearline", "we", "us" or "our"). By registering for, accessing or using any Clearline service, the subscriber ("Subscriber", "you" or "your") agrees to be bound by these Terms.
Unless the context indicates otherwise:
2.1 Clearline provides a subscription-based labour support service designed primarily to assist employers with employment and labour-related queries, workplace issues and general labour-law information.
2.2 Depending on the Plan selected, the service may include:
2.3 The precise services available to a Subscriber are determined by the Plan selected and may be amended by Clearline from time to time, subject to applicable law and these Terms.
3.1 Clearline uses technology-enabled systems to assist in providing certain aspects of its services.
3.2 Responses to questions submitted through the platform may be generated, processed, supplemented or assisted by automated systems and may not necessarily have been individually reviewed by a Labour Consultant or legal practitioner.
3.3 The technology-assisted service is intended to provide preliminary labour information, guidance and assistance based on the information supplied by the Subscriber.
3.4 The Subscriber acknowledges that labour law is fact-specific and that the accuracy or usefulness of a response may depend upon the completeness and accuracy of the information supplied.
3.5 A response generated through the platform must not be regarded as a substitute for advice from a suitably qualified Labour Consultant or legal practitioner where the circumstances require professional advice.
3.6 Clearline may, in its discretion, identify matters which appear to require human intervention, further investigation or professional advice and may recommend escalation.
3.7 Clearline does not warrant that every response generated through the platform will be complete, accurate, current or suitable for the particular circumstances of the Subscriber.
4.1 Unless and until a separate written mandate or engagement agreement is concluded directly between the Subscriber and an attorney or law firm, no attorney-client relationship is created between the Subscriber and any attorney or law firm merely by using the Clearline service.
4.2 Clearline itself does not, merely by providing its subscription services, accept a mandate to act as the Subscriber's attorney in any legal proceedings.
4.3 Nothing contained in the Clearline service constitutes an undertaking that Clearline will represent the Subscriber in litigation, arbitration, conciliation, mediation, disciplinary proceedings or any other legal or quasi-legal proceedings.
4.4 Where a matter requires legal representation or professional legal advice, the Subscriber may be referred or introduced to an independent Attorney Firm, subject to the applicable Plan and the Attorney Firm's acceptance of the matter.
5.1 Certain Plans may provide Subscribers with the ability to escalate specified matters to a Labour Consultant.
5.2 The extent, duration and nature of such assistance will depend upon the Subscriber's Plan.
5.3 Escalation does not necessarily mean that the matter will be accepted, investigated or dealt with by a Labour Consultant.
5.4 A Labour Consultant may require additional information or documentation before providing assistance.
5.5 Matters which are complex, urgent, litigious or outside the scope of the applicable Plan may require an additional fee or referral to an Attorney Firm.
5.6 Clearline reserves the right to determine whether a matter falls within the scope of the applicable Plan.
6.1 Certain premium or qualifying Plans may provide the Subscriber with access to participating Attorney Firms offering preferential or discounted professional fees.
6.2 The benefit provided by Clearline is limited to facilitating access to the applicable preferential or discounted rate.
6.3 Clearline does not pay, receive, collect, control, administer, retain or share in any professional fees charged by an Attorney Firm to a Subscriber.
6.4 The Subscriber acknowledges that any professional fees payable to an Attorney Firm are separate from the Clearline Subscription Fee.
6.5 Any legal services provided by an Attorney Firm are provided pursuant to a separate mandate or engagement agreement entered into directly between the Subscriber and the Attorney Firm.
6.6 The Attorney Firm is responsible for determining:
6.7 Clearline is not a party to the attorney-client mandate and does not control the professional relationship between the Subscriber and the Attorney Firm.
6.8 The Subscriber is responsible for all fees, deposits, disbursements and other amounts payable to the Attorney Firm pursuant to the separate mandate.
6.9 The availability of a discounted rate does not constitute a guarantee that the Attorney Firm will accept the matter or that any particular outcome will be achieved.
6.10 Clearline does not guarantee the outcome, quality, duration or result of any legal services provided by an Attorney Firm.
7.1 Clearline may offer different subscription Plans with different levels of service.
7.2 The features and benefits applicable to each Plan will be communicated to the Subscriber before or during subscription.
7.3 Clearline may introduce new Plans or amend existing Plans from time to time.
7.4 Where an amendment materially reduces the services included in an existing paid Plan, Clearline will provide reasonable notice to affected Subscribers.
7.5 A Subscriber may only access benefits associated with the Plan for which the applicable Subscription Fee has been paid.
7.6 Subscription benefits are personal to the Subscriber and may not be transferred, sold or assigned without Clearline's prior written consent.
8.1 The Subscriber agrees to pay the Subscription Fee applicable to the selected Plan.
8.2 Subscription Fees are payable monthly in advance unless otherwise stated.
8.3 The Subscriber authorises Clearline, where applicable, to process recurring monthly payments using the payment method selected by the Subscriber.
8.4 Clearline is not registered for VAT and no VAT is charged on Subscription Fees. If Clearline registers for VAT, it will give Subscribers reasonable notice before VAT is added to any fee.
8.5 Clearline may suspend access to subscription services where payment is unsuccessful, reversed, disputed or overdue.
8.6 Suspension of access does not automatically waive any amount already due and payable.
8.7 Clearline may change its Subscription Fees by providing reasonable notice to Subscribers.
8.8 All fees paid to Clearline are final and not refundable, save as provided in Clearline's Refunds Policy.
9.1 The Subscriber may cancel the Subscription on one calendar month's written notice, in accordance with Clearline's Membership Cancellation Policy.
9.2 Where applicable to the Subscriber and required by the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 ("CPA"), a fixed-term agreement may be cancelled on written or recorded notice, subject to the rights and obligations prescribed by applicable law.
9.3 Nothing in these Terms is intended to exclude or limit any cancellation right afforded to a consumer by applicable legislation.
9.4 Clearline may terminate or suspend a Subscriber's access where:
9.5 Upon termination, the Subscriber's right to access subscription benefits will cease, subject to any rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.
10.1 Clearline does not guarantee any particular outcome in relation to a labour dispute, disciplinary hearing, retrenchment, dismissal, arbitration, litigation, bargaining council proceeding or other employment-related matter.
10.2 Labour matters depend upon the particular facts, applicable legislation, contracts, policies, evidence, procedural requirements and decisions of relevant persons, tribunals or courts.
10.3 Information provided through the Clearline service should therefore not be relied upon as a guarantee of the outcome of any matter.
11.1 The Clearline service is not intended to replace emergency or urgent professional assistance.
11.2 Where a Subscriber is dealing with an urgent deadline, court process, arbitration, bargaining council referral, disciplinary hearing, dismissal, retrenchment consultation or other time-sensitive matter, the Subscriber should immediately notify Clearline and, where appropriate, obtain professional advice.
11.3 Clearline does not guarantee that a matter submitted through the platform will be reviewed before a particular legal or procedural deadline.
11.4 The Subscriber remains solely responsible for complying with applicable deadlines unless a professional has expressly accepted responsibility for doing so under a separate mandate.
12.1 The Subscriber is responsible for ensuring that information supplied to Clearline is accurate, complete and not misleading.
12.2 Clearline may rely upon information supplied by the Subscriber when providing its services.
12.3 Clearline will not be responsible for consequences arising from incomplete, inaccurate, outdated or misleading information supplied by the Subscriber.
12.4 Subscribers should avoid providing unnecessary personal information concerning employees, customers or third parties.
13.1 Clearline will process personal information in accordance with applicable South African data-protection legislation, including the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA"). POPIA establishes requirements concerning lawful processing, purpose limitation, information quality, security safeguards and other matters.
13.2 By using the service, the Subscriber acknowledges that information supplied through the platform may be processed for purposes reasonably necessary to provide, maintain, secure and improve the Clearline service.
13.3 Clearline may use third-party technology and service providers to operate aspects of the platform, subject to appropriate contractual and security arrangements where required.
13.4 Information may be processed, stored or transmitted using technology infrastructure situated outside South Africa where permitted by applicable law.
13.5 Clearline will implement reasonable technical and organisational measures intended to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, damage or unlawful processing.
13.6 The Subscriber acknowledges that electronic communications and internet-based services cannot be guaranteed to be completely secure.
13.7 Further information regarding the processing of personal information is contained in Clearline's Privacy Policy.
14.1 Clearline may retain records of questions, enquiries, communications and interactions with the platform for purposes including:
14.2 Where information is used for system improvement, Clearline may take reasonable measures to remove or reduce information that identifies individuals where appropriate.
15.1 All intellectual property rights in the Clearline platform, branding, software, databases, templates, systems, content and materials remain vested in Clearline or its licensors.
15.2 The Subscriber receives a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use the service for the Subscriber's internal business purposes.
15.3 The Subscriber may not reproduce, distribute, resell, commercially exploit, reverse engineer or otherwise misuse Clearline's intellectual property without written permission.
The Subscriber may not:
17.1 To the maximum extent permitted by law, Clearline will not be liable for any loss arising from reliance upon general or technology-assisted information supplied through the service where such information was not reviewed by a Labour Consultant or legal practitioner.
17.2 Clearline will not be liable for indirect, consequential, special or incidental loss, including loss of profits, business opportunities, reputation or anticipated savings, except to the extent that such exclusion is prohibited by law.
17.3 Nothing in these Terms excludes liability which cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.
17.4 Nothing in these Terms is intended to deprive a consumer of any right or remedy that cannot lawfully be excluded under applicable consumer-protection legislation.
18.1 Clearline may use third-party technology providers, payment processors, communication platforms, hosting providers and other service providers.
18.2 Clearline may also make independent Labour Consultants and Attorney Firms available to Subscribers.
18.3 Third-party providers operate independently from Clearline unless expressly stated otherwise.
18.4 Clearline is not responsible for the independent professional conduct, advice, decisions or actions of an Attorney Firm or Labour Consultant.
19.1 The Subscriber acknowledges that the discounted professional fee benefit is merely a benefit associated with certain Clearline Plans.
19.2 The Subscriber does not acquire any right to legal representation merely by becoming a Clearline Subscriber.
19.3 The Attorney Firm remains entitled to determine whether it will accept a matter.
19.4 The Subscriber will be required to enter into the Attorney Firm's own mandate, engagement letter and/or terms of business before legal services commence.
19.5 Clearline has no authority to instruct the Attorney Firm on behalf of the Subscriber unless expressly agreed in writing.
19.6 Clearline does not determine the Attorney Firm's professional fees, except that the Attorney Firm may agree to honour the preferential rate applicable to qualifying Clearline Subscribers.
19.7 Clearline receives no percentage, commission or share of the professional fees charged by the Attorney Firm.
19.8 Any dispute concerning the professional services rendered by the Attorney Firm must be addressed directly with the Attorney Firm, without prejudice to any rights the Subscriber may have under applicable law.
20.1 Clearline may amend these Terms from time to time.
20.2 Material amendments will be communicated to Subscribers through an appropriate communication channel.
20.3 Continued use of the service after the effective date of amended Terms constitutes acceptance of the amended Terms, to the extent permitted by law.
21.1 These Terms constitute the agreement between Clearline and the Subscriber concerning the use of the subscription service.
21.2 If any provision is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in force.
21.3 No failure by Clearline to enforce any provision constitutes a waiver of that provision.
21.4 The Subscriber may not transfer its rights or obligations under these Terms without Clearline's prior written consent.
22.1 These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.
22.2 Any dispute concerning these Terms will be dealt with in accordance with applicable South African law and, where applicable, the dispute-resolution mechanisms prescribed by law.
By subscribing to Clearline Labour, the Subscriber acknowledges and agrees that:
Clearline Labour Advisory (Pty) Ltd
Trading as: ClearLine Labour Advisory
Company Registration Number: 2026/703740/07
Email: info@clearlinelabour.co.za
Website: www.clearlinelabour.co.za
Last Updated: 31 October 2026