An employee raises a personal grievance
Organise the grievance, correspondence and process records before you respond, so disputed facts and the relevant legal issues are clear from the start.
For small businesses
A workplace dispute shouldn't take over your business.
When an employee raises a grievance or challenges a decision, you need to understand the risks without losing days to research and preparation. Reso helps you get an early view of the issues and decide when specialist advice is needed.
The headache
An employment dispute lands on top of everything else.
It often starts with an email, or a letter from the employee's lawyer. Suddenly you're working out what a personal grievance is, whether a time limit is running, what a fair process looks like and whether you need a lawyer, all while running the business.
Without an HR or legal team, it's easy to spend days on research, or to pay for advice just to find out where you stand. Get the process wrong and a small issue can become a much bigger one.
“The thresholds in the ERA are ambiguous and rely on judgment calls. This presents a significant risk for smaller firms who 'don't know what they don't know', and can be particularly dangerous if they're dealing with serious misconduct issues, as it can backfire if they haven't followed a proper process.”
Where Reso helps
Employment assessments are available now. They support your preparation; they don't replace your obligations as an employer or advice on your circumstances.
You're considering a dismissal
Review the background and spot the issues that need specialist advice. An assessment does not replace a fair process or your statutory obligations.
A former employee disputes final pay
Bring the employment agreement, pay records and calculation together so the disagreement can be assessed on what the documents say.
A manager needs to understand the risks
A report in a consistent format makes it easier to discuss the matter with the manager or an adviser, rather than starting from scattered emails.
What you get
See what you'll have in front of you.
Most reports are ready in a minute or two. You'll see where you stand, what the risks are and what to do next, before you reply to the employee or call a lawyer.
- A plain-English summary of the dispute and the likely outcome, where the facts support one
- The strengths and weaknesses of each side
- The key legal issues, tied to the law that applies
- An indicative settlement range, with the reasoning behind it
- Time limits checked against your dates
- The evidence that would strengthen the analysis
- A recommended next step
- Citations to New Zealand legislation and case law you can check
Summary and recommended next step
A plain-English summary of the dispute, the likely outcome where the facts support one, how confident Reso is, and a recommended next step.
Strengths and weaknesses
The strengths and risks for each side, side by side, so you can see your position the way the other party and a decision-maker might.
Settlement range
An indicative settlement range with a low, likely and high figure, and the reasons behind it. It is guidance to help you plan, not a quote or a prediction.
Key issues
The legal questions your dispute turns on, each tied to the section of the law that applies, and how strong the position is on each one.
Time limits
Statutory time limits checked against the dates you give, such as the 90 days to raise a personal grievance, so you can check where you stand before a deadline passes.
What evidence would help
The documents that would let the assessment reach a firmer view, and which side each one is likely to help, so you know what to find before the next conversation.
From an example employment report with fictional details. Every report depends on the dispute and the information provided.
Next steps
Rolling outFrom knowing where you stand to doing something about it.
Knowing your position is half the job. Next steps turns the assessment into the actions that usually follow, drafted from the facts and the law in your report, so you can move quickly and follow a fair process. You review and edit everything before it goes anywhere.
Invite the employee to a meeting
A meeting invitation that follows a fair process, ready to edit and send.
Propose a settlement
A without-prejudice settlement email, drafted from the assessment.
Record the agreement
A draft resolution agreement once you and the employee agree terms.
Try mediation
A direct link to free employment mediation through MBIE.
Share a summary
A summary of the assessment to share with a manager or your adviser.
Next steps is being switched on for business accounts. Drafts are a starting point, not legal advice, so check them before you send anything. Ask us about it in a demo.
Choose an option that fits how often disputes arise
Every option includes the full assessment and report. A business plan adds an organisation account, so your disputes, reports and next steps stay in one place.
One-off Resolver: for a single dispute
NZD $149 at launch pricing, excluding GST. One report, paid once, with no subscription.
See the one-off optionStarter: if disputes come up now and then
NZD $495, excluding GST, or $99 a report. Five reports to use within 12 months, for one type of dispute, with an organisation account.
See StarterTeam: if disputes are a regular part of the job
NZD $1,920 a year, excluding GST, for 25 reports, with shared cases and roles so managers and HR work from the same record.
See TeamCommon questions
Get an early view of your dispute.
Start an assessment now, or book a demo and we'll walk you through one using a dispute like yours, including Next steps.
Reso provides AI-assisted analysis and is not legal advice or a substitute for a lawyer, mediator or formal dispute resolution. Review any output before relying on it.