Labour Department in dispute with own employee

The Labour Department has won the right to call one of its mediators to a meeting to discuss allegations against him.

Richard Te Ao, a mediator employed by the Department of Labour in Hamilton, argued that he was barred by statute from discussing the contents of a mediation when the department called him to a meeting on June 15 to discuss allegations against him.

The determination of the authority did not detail the allegations.

It did say that in May the department received complaints from both parties to a mediation regarding the behaviour of Mr Te Ao.

Following investigations and meetings with the complainants the department wrote to Mr Te Ao requesting a meeting.

Mr Te Ao's representative Simon Scott advised that Mr Te Ao was statute barred from discussing anything to do with the mediation and the meeting for June 15 did not go ahead.

Authority member James Wilson determined that Mr Te Ao was not barred from attending a disciplinary investigation meeting convened by his employer to respond to complaints to answering questions about those complaints. The costs were reserved.

- NZPA