Mediation

Mediation gives employers and employees a confidential, less adversarial way to resolve a workplace dispute. Rather than each side arguing their position through lawyers or before the Employment Relations Authority, mediation brings in a trained, neutral facilitator to help both parties clarify the real issues, test their options, and reach an outcome they’ve agreed to – not one imposed on them. It’s typically faster, less costly, and better for an ongoing working relationship than formal litigation.

Private mediation gives both parties far more control over timing than the Government’s free mediation service through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), where waitlists can leave a dispute unresolved for weeks. You can often begin mediation and move toward a resolution much sooner.

My focus is workplace issues and disputes, including:

• Personal grievances, including unjustified dismissal and disadvantage claims
• Bullying, harassment and discrimination complaints
• Disputes arising from restructuring or redundancy processes
• Breakdowns in working relationships between colleagues or within teams
• Disagreements over restraints of trade or post-employment obligations
• Concerns and tensions that haven’t yet become formal disputes, addressed before matters escalate.

As a mediator, I don’t advocate for either side. I don’t mediate matters I’ve advised on or acted in. My role is to run a fair, structured process that helps both parties do their own best thinking. That typically involves:

• You get in touch, and I confirm availability and that both parties are willing to take part
• An initial conversation with each party, separately, to understand the issues and confirm mediation is the right process
• Setting ground rules for a respectful, confidential discussion
• Facilitating joint and separate sessions to surface interests, not just positions
• Testing options and helping parties assess their options realistically
• Recording any agreement reached in a written settlement, which can be certified by an MBIE mediator under s149

Sessions are held in person or online.

AMINZ sets and promotes the highest standards in dispute resolution in New Zealand, and as an Associate, I’ve committed to those standards and to ongoing professional development in mediation practice. Combined with more than 15 years in practice, acting for both employers and employees, I bring real understanding of workplace disputes, not just a process.

Need mediation for a workplace issue or dispute? Start the conversation, and let’s find a way forward.