Public court list information confirms an Employment Court judicial review hearing in Menzies v Employment Relations Authority and Another on 10 February 2026.
Industry news, practical commentary, and real-world employment law lessons from the coalface in New Zealand. Short updates, longer opinion pieces, and anonymised stories that highlight what goes wrong (and how to avoid it).
Updates, commentary, and practical lessons from the coalface. This is where I article industry news, my opinion on employment law issues, and real-world stories (some anonymised, some not) that show how disputes start, how they escalate, and how they can be resolved.
Some articles in this section are short and timely. Others are longer opinion pieces or breakdowns of common failure points I see in practice. If you are looking for structured guides and explainer articles, browse the main articles and topics as well.
Employment disputes are rarely about one single event. They usually build from poor process, poor communication, missing documentation, or decisions that get locked in too early. I use this section to call out patterns I see repeatedly, and to explain the practical reality of what happens in MBIE mediation, the Employment Relations Authority (ERA), and sometimes the Employment Court.
If you are in a live dispute, treat deadlines and evidence seriously from day one. For employees, that may include the time limits for raising a Personal Grievance (PG). For employers, that means avoiding rushed responses and preserving the record before memories fade or systems overwrite.
Public court list information confirms an Employment Court judicial review hearing in Menzies v Employment Relations Authority and Another on 10 February 2026.
Catherine Stewart Barrister (and her firm) are central to the email excerpts now being discussed publicly in connection with the Menzies v Corrigan dispute. Daniel Church later posted "Buyer Beware" on LinkedIn about me and employment advocacy. This article provides context, links the primary sources, and sets out the specific email excerpts being cited.
My response to RNZ's Nine To Noon story about regulating lay employment advocates, and what the Joyce costs judgment actually did (and did not) decide.
A funny (and painfully familiar) song about sock-puppet one-star reviews, the damage they can do, and what to do next if it happens to you.
Sacked Kiwi sent a cease and desist to Win Kiwi Limited alleging "Fired Kiwi" infringes their trade mark. Win Kiwi Limited sets out what was asserted, what was requested, and it's response, and the IPONZ Trade Marks Register context showing both parties have registered marks.
Shine Lawyers filed an IPONZ revocation for non-use against No Win No Fee Kiwi Limited's trade mark "No Win No Fee Kiwi". They wanted to register "No Win, No Fee No Nonsense". No Win No Fee Kiwi Limited filed a counterstatement and evidence. Shine Lawyers then withdrew.
A short video about a caller wanting to speak to the manager. Is it Karen or Ken? Watch and see the argument play out.
A true mediation story (details changed) about settlement capacity, cannabis, and why you should only sign when clear-headed.