What happens at JPPM conciliation?
Your claim has reached the stage where an officer tries to help both sides settle.
A conciliation date from the Industrial Relations Department means your claim is moving. If the two sides cannot agree, the claim goes on to the Industrial Court.
What is JPPM conciliation?
JPPM is the Industrial Relations Department (Jabatan Perhubungan Perusahaan Malaysia), which handles disputes between workers and employers. Once your Section 20 representation is filed, JPPM arranges conciliation, a meeting run by an officer to help both sides settle.
The officer does not decide who is right. Their role is to help you and your employer find common ground, or to confirm that no agreement is possible.
Can a lawyer speak for me in the room?
No. Solicitors are not permitted to represent either party inside the meeting itself, so you or your employer’s representative speaks directly to the officer.1
You can still meet a lawyer first to understand what a fair settlement looks like, so you know what to accept or decline on the day.
What happens if you and your employer cannot agree?
If conciliation fails, your case does not stall. Since the 2020 amendment took effect, the Director General refers it straight to the Industrial Court, with no ministerial screening step in between.2
Once referred, your claim moves into the Industrial Court process, where the full facts of your dismissal are heard.
How did my case reach this stage?
Conciliation only happens after you have filed a written representation with the Director General, within 60 days of your dismissal.3 You can work out your exact deadline to check your dates.
What should I bring to the meeting?
Bring your dismissal letter, your contract, and a short written timeline of what happened, in order. A clear account of dates matters more in the room than a long explanation.
If your employer offers a sum to settle, you do not have to answer on the spot. Check how back wages and compensation are awarded before you decide, and read about settlement and negotiation.
Conciliation is one stage in the wider legal process, from your filing to a final decision.
If you want a lawyer to prepare you for the meeting, send the conciliation date and what your employer has said. An independent lawyer can then review whether they can act.
If a conciliation date is already set and you want a lawyer to prepare you for it, share the date and what your employer has said. An independent lawyer can review whether they can act.
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
Do I need a lawyer at JPPM conciliation?
Not inside the meeting itself, since solicitors are not permitted to represent you there. You can still speak with a lawyer beforehand, to understand what a fair settlement looks like and how to explain your case clearly on the day.
How many conciliation sessions will there be?
Conciliation usually takes one or two sessions with the officer. Some cases settle at the first meeting, and others need a second before either side agrees the file should move on.
What if my employer does not show up?
The officer records it and your case still moves forward. Note the date, because a missed session belongs in the record if the matter is later referred to the Industrial Court.
Can I settle for less than I think is fair just to end it?
You can, but you do not have to decide on the spot. Check how a court could award back wages or compensation before you go in, so the choice is informed and not rushed by pressure on the day.
Sources
- At conciliation before the Industrial Relations Department, solicitors are not permitted to represent either party inside the meeting itself. Mah Weng Kwai & Associates, Unfair Dismissal
- Since the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2020 came into force on 1 January 2021, the Director General refers a case that does not settle at conciliation directly to the Industrial Court. MECA, Industrial Relations Act 1967 Guide
- An employee who considers they were dismissed without just cause or excuse may make a written representation to the Director General of Industrial Relations within 60 days of the dismissal, and this filing is what brings a case to conciliation. Mah Weng Kwai & Associates, Unfair Dismissal
Keep reading
If a conciliation date is already set and you want a lawyer to prepare you for it, share the date and what your employer has said. An independent lawyer can review whether they can act.
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.