Employment NZ (Labour Department): mediaiton, ERA, and raising a personal grievance
The Labour Department is administered by Employment New Zealand and provides Mediation Services for employers and employees. We represent employees in unfair dismissal, personal grievance and minimum entitlement claims.
Many people still search for the "Labour Department" when they mean Employment New Zealand (MBIE) - mediation, labour inspectorate issues, and the pathway into the Employment Relations Authority (ERA).
Where most employment disputes go first
- Mediation: MBIE mediation is the primary problem-solving forum and often the fastest path to a confidential settlement.
- ERA: if mediation does not resolve the problem, parties can file in the ERA for an investigation meeting and determination.
- Minimum entitlements: wage and Holidays Act issues can involve the labour inspectorate, but employees still often need their own representation.
Labour Department
The Department of Labour was integrated into the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and is now called Employment New Zealand. The Labour inspector, Mediation Services and Employment Relations Authority are run by MBIE.
Legal Representation
While MBIE and Employment New Zealand provide forums for resolution of employment relationship problems, an employee still requires representation. We represent in cases involving:
- Unjustified dismissal or unfair dismissal
- Unjustified disadvantage claims
- Personal Grievances
- Wage arrears and holiday pay claims
We achieve financial settlements for employees.
Need help with mediation, the ERA, or minimum entitlement claims?
If you have an employment problem and want practical steps, submit the case form with a short timeline and the key documents.
Employee Unfair Dismissal Case FormRelated articles
Browse all articles
Medical incapacity dismissal: fair process and reasonable timeframes
Employers are not expected to keep a sick or incapacitated employee's job open for an indefinite period. The tests of fairness and reasonableness apply.
Evidence for unjustified dismissal personal grievance claims: what to collect
Unfair Dismissal and Personal Grievance cases require the employee to give evidence and provide clear and convincing proof to support their claim. Employee advice on evidence gathering.
Unjustified redundancy: when redundancy becomes an unfair dismissal personal grievance
The Employment Court upheld a determination of the Employment Relations Authority that an employer pay its former employee substantial compensation for hurt and humiliation in remedy of the redundancy having been found unjustifiable.
Who is the employer? identifying the true employer in NZ employment claims
Where there is confusion or ambiguity of the identity of the employer the legal test requires an objective observation of the employment relationship at its outset with knowledge of all relevant communications between employer and employee.
Recording workplace conversation in NZ: what is legal and what backfires
You do not need permission to record a conversation that you are party to but there are consequences that you may face later if you record conversations without permission.
Disciplinary meetings: employee rights and common employer mistakes
In a disciplinary meeting an employee has rights to procedural fairness and to be fairly heard. We represent employees at disciplinary meetings.