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The question of whether a matter is suitable for mediation is often grappled with by those working in the family justice system. Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) mediation is mandatory for families seeking to air their parenting disputes in Court unless the matter is deemed “inappropriate” for mediation. What is deemed appropriate often depends on the judgment call of one individual.

As mediators and facilitators involved in addressing workplace bullying issues, Fair Way has developed a significant level of experience supporting people to resolve issues and helping organisations to foster meaningful change. So, based on our experience of the modern workplace, how can organisations support their staff and shift their workplace culture?

Each generation has its own culture formed from its period in history. This affects each generation’s values, beliefs, and identity. Our workplaces are made up of people of many generations. Millennials, born between roughly 1981 and 1996, comprise the largest group. Their managers are most likely to be Gen Xers, people born between 1965 and 1980.

Wellbeing is more than aspirational; it is a legal responsibility and commercial reality. We now know that telling someone who is struggling mentally or emotionally to ‘harden up’ does not help them. Some leaders still see wellbeing as an aspiration, viewing a wellbeing strategy as something nice to keep their staff feeling looked after and to show their stakeholders they are caring employers.  

Recently, much has been made of quiet quitting - a phenomenon that actually became viral on TikTok. So, what is quiet quitting and how is it relevant in the modern workplace? Quiet quitting has been defined as: “An informal term for the practice of reducing the amount of effort one devotes to one’s job, such as by stopping the completion of any tasks not explicitly stated in the job description.

The latest Human Rights Commission research exposes New Zealand’s sobering statistics on bullying and harassment in our places of work and learning. Bullying has a significant impact on those both directly and indirectly involved, and the complaints made often represent the tip of the iceberg, with only 24% of workers affected raising a formal complaint. 

Recent government reports have sadly confirmed that New Zealand has a significant problem with bullying behaviour in our schools, and workplaces. In fact, in a school context: “New Zealand has one of the highest rates of bullying in the world.” This has been confirmed in the nationwide survey conducted by the Human Rights Commission.

The past couple of years have disconnected many of us from what we felt was important, including the people we work with. Whether we are back working onsite full time, working remotely or in a hybrid situation between the office and home, how well we connect with our co-workers affects our mental health and ability to do our job well. 

Fair Way is pleased to announce the engagement of Kate Keddell (formerly Kate Hesson) as Senior Resolution Practitioner in the Commercial Services team, based in Dunedin. Kate practiced as a commercial lawyer for nearly two decades and is now a mediator and workplace investigator.

Fair Way is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephen Hooper as Senior Resolution Practitioner. Stephen has a wealth of experience in dispute resolution, having worked as a lawyer and mediator for nearly 30 years. His career has spanned the public and private sector both locally and overseas.