Alison Maelzer, Employment Lawyer, Health and Safety Lawyer

Alison Maelzer

LLB / BA

Alison Maelzer is a Partner in the Employment Law Team.

Alison provides expert advice in all aspects of employment law, with a particular interest in disciplinary issues, managing personal grievances, and health and safety at work.

Alison has practised exclusively in the employment jurisdiction for over 20 years. Her background includes large firm and in-house local government experience, and she represents clients at mediation, in the Employment Relations Authority, and Employment Court. Her expertise in the employment law sector has been recognised by the major legal directories, including AsiaLaw, and Chambers Asia-Pacific. She also regularly comments on topical employment law matters in the media.

Alison’s experience covers the breadth of employment law issues, representing employers, employees, and unions in matters ranging from statutory compliance to negotiated solutions to employment relationship problems. She provides pragmatic, business-focused advice with a view to minimising cost and time for the client. Alison works hard to ensure that advice is practical, solutions-based and delivered in plain English.

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Examples of work completed by Alison include:

Assisting a large employer with a redundancy process affecting a significant number of positions and employees.
Helping an employer investigate allegations of harassment and bullying.
Representing an employer in the managed exit of a senior executive.
Acting as an advocate for an employer during collective bargaining.
Negotiating the resignation of a senior manager.
Assisting a large manufacturer with a WorkSafe NZ investigation, and subsequent negotiation of an Enforceable Undertaking.
Providing tailored training to a Board of Directors, senior managers, and other employees, with regard to their legal obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
Representing an interested Union in a coroner’s request into the sudden death of one of its members.

Individually recognised, Chambers 2025 Legal Directory Alison is Individually recognised in Band 4 for 2025.

Are hugs OK in the workplace? An employment lawyer's guide to physical greetings.

Are you really working for free on a leap day? Alison Maelzer spoke to Stuff about whether employees are really working free on a leap day.

How 'unlimited leave' really works, from a business that tried it Alison Maelzer spoke to Stuff about some of the factors that employers should think about before offering unlimited leave to employees.

Do NZ workers have a 'right to disconnect'? Alison Maelzer, Partner in the Employment Law Team, spoke with RNZ about Australia's new “right to disconnect” laws and New Zealand’s position on this topic.

You're being offered voluntary redundancy. What's next? Alison Maelzer, Partner in our Employment Team recently spoke to RNZ about KiwiRail offering voluntary redundancy to all staff.

Alison Maelzer

Insights & Opinion / Alison Maelzer