The Employment Relations Authority

The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) is a Tribunal that deals with employment problems. If an employee and an employer can’t resolve their differences through mediation, the next step is the ERA.

At the ERA, the focus is on matters of fact. Because of this, the ERA works differently from a ‘regular’ court. The ERA Member (like a judge, but not) performs an investigation. This includes talking to witnesses and talking with both the employer and the employee.

After being notified of your personal grievance, the Member sets a date for the hearing. Before the hearing, you need to prepare your case, locate and prepare witnesses and research matters of law.

The hearing itself is usually a one day matter. After the hearing, the Member may take some time to reach a decision. Once that decision is made, it is final, unless the case is appealed to the Employment Court. This is a very serious and expensive step.

The process is “relatively informal” but it is still a legal process. You definitely can put together your own case and represent yourself. However, an effective advocate makes it more likely that the ERA will understand your situation.

Learn more about the Employment Relations Authority here.