Employment Law Disputes

Running a business means you can’t be an expert in everything. When employment relationships don’t go to plan, having a trusted legal partner in your corner for sound advice is crucial.

As employment dispute specialists we’ll tailor proven strategies to your unique circumstances to deliver a successful resolution.

Representing the full spectrum of employment law disputes

Employment law disputes can take many forms. If your business is facing any of the below situations our team has the experience to support you.

·        Unfair/unjustified and constructive dismissal claims

·        Breach of contract

·        Discrimination (including bullying and harassment)

·        Breach of consultation obligations during redundancy or business restructuring

·        Unlawful deduction from wages

·        Holiday pay disputes

·        Personal grievances

·        Investigations, disciplinary meetings or exit packages

·        Restraint of trade including injunctions

·        Health, safety & wellbeing issues

·        Employers’ Liability Insurance  

Decades of experience in employment law and dispute resolution

Stuart Dalzell leads our employment law practice. Stuart has decades of experience advising clients on the full range of employment law disputes – restraints of trade, Holiday Act claims, disciplinary processes, workplace stress, restructuring, redundancy and grievances – and is experienced in mediation, the Employment Relations Authority, and Employment Court.

 

Do you need employment law advice?

As employment law dispute specialists, we’ve worked for both employees needing representation against their employer and for employers being sued by past or present employees. If you’re facing employment law action or need more general New Zealand employment law advice, please get in touch to discuss.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • To establish whether you have a case (or defence), we would set up a meeting in which we listen to your situation and seek to understand what has occurred and how we might be able to help. It is good to come prepared to this meeting with all the information about the case.

  • Not always. Where appropriate, we’ll guide you through negotiated settlements of disputes, often using mediation to engage face-to-face in a private and controlled environment.

    Successful resolution at mediation without the need to go to court is usually best. However, we have the litigation skills and resources required to take matters to court when necessary.

  • Yes we do. We have experience representing employees. We also have specialist litigation experience with group claims. A group claim or class action is where a group of people with sufficiently similar claims organise to sue one or more defendants.

  • Yes absolutely. Dalzell Wollerman is a leading Plaintiff focussed Class Action firm with years of employment and class action experience. If employees all have a similar grievance i.e. unfair dismissal during a restructure then this is certainly something that we can look to help with.

Our View

“We specialise in contentious work, such as disciplinary and grievance matters within individual employment relationships, breach of contract, confidentiality and restraint of trade issues, as well as employer health and safety at work obligations resulting in Employment Relations Authority and Employment Court claims - and occasionally also High Court claims - or resulting in a settlement.”

Stuart Dalzell, Partner