What happens at JPPM conciliation
Your claim is going to conciliation and you want to know what to expect.
What happens at JPPM conciliation?
Conciliation is a meeting run by an officer of the Industrial Relations Department (JPPM) to help both sides settle. It takes place after your written representation is lodged.
You and a representative of your employer attend, and the officer mediates between you instead of deciding who is right. Solicitors may not represent either side in the room, which makes the meeting a more direct, informal conversation.1
What is the meeting trying to achieve?
The officer helps both sides find common ground. You may be asked what outcome you want, and your employer will give its own position.
If you reach an agreement, it settles the matter, so read any proposed terms carefully before accepting. If not, the case goes straight to the Industrial Court since the 2020 amendment, with no minister deciding whether it proceeds.2
How do you prepare for your session?
Write out what happened and what outcome you want before the meeting. Bring your key documents organised and easy to find, though no formal presentation is expected.
Stay calm and factual, because that serves you better than an emotional appeal. If the meeting becomes heated, ask the officer for a short pause.
Can a lawyer help if they cannot attend?
Read about whether you can bring a lawyer into the room and how JPPM differs from the Labour Office if you are unsure which body handles your matter.
An employment lawyer cannot sit in the room, but an independent lawyer can prepare your position beforehand and act for you if the case does not settle.
If your claim is heading to conciliation, an independent employment lawyer can prepare your position beforehand and handle the follow-up if it does not settle.
For people seeking legal representation. For general information, please use our guides and tools.
First contact: general facts only, such as date, location, employment status and a short summary. Keep documents private until an identified independent lawyer contacts you and specifically requests them.
Common questions
Who actually attends the conciliation meeting?
You, a representative of your employer and an industrial relations officer who runs the session. It is a meeting run by an officer to help both sides settle, not a courtroom hearing.
Can I bring anyone with me for support?
Who may accompany you can vary, and solicitors are not permitted to represent either side in the room, so confirm current arrangements with the department before the session.
What if we reach an agreement at conciliation?
A settlement at this stage usually ends the matter, so read any proposed terms carefully before you agree, even if the meeting feels rushed.
What happens if no agreement is reached?
The case does not stop there. The Director General refers it straight to the Industrial Court, without a separate ministerial decision on whether it proceeds.
Sources
- Solicitors are not permitted to represent parties during conciliation at the Industrial Relations Department, where an officer mediates directly between the worker and the employer. Mah Weng Kwai & Associates
- Since the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2020, the Director General refers a case straight to the Industrial Court once conciliation fails, without ministerial screening. MECA
Keep reading
If your claim is heading to conciliation, an independent employment lawyer can prepare your position beforehand and handle the follow-up if it does not settle.
For people seeking legal representation. For general information, please use our guides and tools.
First contact: general facts only, such as date, location, employment status and a short summary. Keep documents private until an identified independent lawyer contacts you and specifically requests them.