I've been dismissed. What now?

1. Ask for the reason in writing. If you were told verbally, write to your employer the same day asking them to confirm the dismissal and the reason. Keep a copy.
2. Write down what happened. Note the dates, who said what, any meetings or hearings, and whether you were told the allegation and given a chance to respond. Do it while you still remember clearly.
3. Keep your documents. Your contract or letter of appointment, payslips, warning letters, messages and emails about the dismissal. If you can no longer get into a work email or phone, write down what was in it.
4. Check your final pay. See the page What you should get when you leave.
5. If you are in a union, contact it straight away. Only an employer or a union can report a trade dispute to the Minister of Labour. Your union reports it for you.
6. If you are not in a union, get advice this week. The Ministry of Labour's Conciliation, Advisory and Advocacy Division (CAAD) gives free information and advice to non-unionised workers. A union can only report a dispute for a worker who has paid union dues for at least eight weeks before the report, so speak to a union and to CAAD about your options as early as possible. An attorney can also advise you on a claim in the courts.
7. Watch the six-month deadline. The deadline runs from the day the issue first arose. After that, the matter is "statute barred" and a union would have to ask the Minister for an extension of time, which may be refused.

If you think the dismissal was discrimination (because of your sex, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, marital status or disability), you can also complain to the Equal Opportunity Commission, but you must do so within six months of what happened.

Household workers: the trade dispute route does not apply to people employed in a private home. See Household (domestic) workers for where to get help.

The Minister acknowledges the report within 14 days and invites both sides to a conciliation meeting with a Ministry conciliator. If it settles, the terms are registered with the Industrial Court as a final award. If not, the Ministry issues an unresolved certificate and the dispute can go to the Industrial Court for a hearing.

Only a union or the employer can report the dispute, and the six-month clock runs from the day the issue first arose.

The Court asks whether the dismissal was harsh and oppressive. It looks at whether there was a fair reason, whether you were told the allegation, given a real chance to respond, and treated consistently with others. It can order reinstatement or compensation.

• Waiting to "see what happens" while the six months run out.
• Signing a settlement or "full and final" letter before getting advice.
• Posting about your employer on social media while a dispute is open.