Complaints

Human Rights Advocates Australia are a national advocacy practice. Our team of advocates regularly facilitate advocacy throughout Australia, both in capital cities and regional locations. Regardless of where you are located in Australia, we can help. HRAA provide alternative dispute resolution services at an extremely affordable and fair price. We have extensive experience in mediation, conciliation, facilitation, human rights and advocacy and have facilitated with resolutions for thousands of clients.

Our experienced professional team are there to assist you to resolve your disputes and address your concerns. HRAA offers fixed fee services so you will know at the outset exactly what the Advocacy fees will be. In other words, unlike litigation, you’ll get no surprise legal bills in the mail.

We are not cold, uninterested ‘middle-men’ – we are people like you, who have also had to face challenges and obstacles. We understand the emotional stress that disputes can evoke, as well as physical responses that sometimes emerge. We have empathy and understanding for what our clients are facing, and work hard to generate a solution with the best possible outcome.

Request for Information Consultation

If you would like to speak to one of our friendly and professional Advocates, for an advocacy opinion, we are here to help. Business owners, employees, consumers, families and the general public are welcome to reach out for help. You will receive up to 30 minutes phone consultation with an experienced advocate.

Further work required for your matter, whether it be basic written communications, handling all correspondence with employer or assisting with Court matters; will be assessed and costed on a case-by-case basis.

Request a Consultation

Request for Information Consultation (same day service)

If you would like to speak to one of our friendly and professional Advocates, for an URGENT (same day) consultation service, we are here to help. Business owners, employees, consumers, families and the general public are welcome to reach out for our advocacy opinion & assistance. You will receive up to 30 minutes phone consultation with an experienced advocate.

Consultation forms received by HRAA by 4pm AEST, will be contacted the same day for urgent matters. If submission is received after 4pm AEST, an advocate will be in touch before 12pm the following day.

Request an Urgent Consultation

Employment Disputes

Human Rights Advocates Australia was established to respond to the urgent market need for a responsive, effective and low-cost resource for employees and volunteers who are in dispute with their employers or who have concerns about the employment relationship.

Our experienced professional team are there to assist you resolve those disputes and address your concerns. We are not a legal practice; we are an advocacy service which finds solutions where the legal system fails.

Workplace Rights

Not every dispute with your employer will involve dismissal or even a monetary claim. We can provide advice, support, and assistance to you to advise you what your workplace rights are and help ensure that your employer observes their obligations to you in the workplace.

Addressing Concerns

You may have concerns about workplace, health, and safety; unfair treatment or favouritism; sexual harassment; bullying; or not being afforded your entitlements and we can help with these issues. Sometimes all that is required is a well-crafted letter from a professional to sort out these employment issues.

Discrimination happens when a person, or a group of people, is treated less favourably than another person or group because of their background or certain personal characteristics. This is known as ‘direct discrimination’. Example: An employer refused to hire a suitably qualified person as a shop assistant because they were Aboriginal, and instead hired a less qualified person of a different racial background. This could be racial discrimination.

It is also discrimination when an unreasonable rule or policy applies to everyone but has the effect of disadvantaging some people because of a personal characteristic they share. This is known as ‘indirect discrimination’. Example: A policy that says only full-time workers will be promoted could discriminate against women who are more likely to work part-time to accommodate their family responsibilities.

Discrimination can be against the law if it is based on a person’s: age disability, or race, including colour, national or ethnic origin or immigrant status sex, pregnancy, marital or relationship status, family responsibilities or breastfeeding sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status. Discrimination on these grounds is against the law in a number of areas of public life, including employment, education, getting or using services or renting or buying a house or unit.

Fixed Fee Advocacy

You will know at the outset exactly what the Advocacy fees will be. In other words, unlike litigation, you’ll get no surprise legal bills in the mail.

The Process

The advocate will set an initial consultation (up to 60 minutes) with you to discuss your matter and work through an alternative dispute resolution. We will continue to advocate on your behalf until we have an outcome. We will take care of all correspondence and provide your employer with all the relevant letters, research, studies and supporting documents.

If you have sick leave entitlements and are feeling anxious, stressed, or depressed, we will assist you in taking stress leave and accessing those entitlements. This will also help buy some valuable time to have right of review and consider your options without being rushed into decisions you are not comfortable with. If you have other leave entitlements, we will assist you in accessing those also.

Remember any interaction with your employer could be recorded and possibly used against you in legal action later in the form of an affidavit.

Make a Complaint - Employees

Consumer Disputes

Human Rights Advocates Australia is a nationwide organisation, who represent thousands of consumers victimized by fraudulent, abusive, discriminatory and predatory business practices. We are committed to advancing the cause of just treatment and ethical representation for consumers.

As an organisation devoted to consumer justice, we are committed to educating consumers like you about their rights and helping them achieve justice for themselves and for their communities.

Consumer Rights

We all want to be treated fairly. At work or school, when we buy something or receive a service. We don’t want to be judged simply because of how we look, our disability, sex, or our age. Unfortunately, people are often judged on an aspect of their body or character, rather than being seen as a whole person. In Australia, we have a law that protects people from this kind of unfair treatment.

Addressing Concerns

One of the main concerns is discrimination. When we talk about a person being discriminated against, it means they’re being treated badly or unfairly because of a personal characteristic that is protected by the law.

Discrimination can be against the law if it is based on a person’s: age disability, or race, including colour, national or ethnic origin or immigrant status sex, pregnancy, marital or relationship status, family responsibilities or breastfeeding sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status. Discrimination on these grounds is against the law in several areas of public life, including employment, education, getting or using services or renting or buying a house or unit.

The Process

Our senior Advocate will set an initial consultation (up to 60 minutes) with you to discuss your matter and work through an alternative dispute resolution. We will continue to Advocate on your behalf until we have an outcome. We will take care of all correspondence and provide the respondent with all the relevant letters, research, studies and supporting documents.

Fixed Fee Advocacy

You will know at the outset exactly what the Advocacy fees will be. In other words, unlike litigation, you’ll get no surprise legal bills in the mail.

Should the matter need to be escalated, Human Rights Advocates Australia can also Advocate on your behalf to the relevant commission.

Make a Complaint - Consumers

aged care facility advocacy

If you require advocacy to access your loved one(s) in aged care facilities, please complete this form and you will be allocated a senior advocate who will advocate on your behalf to the organisation.

Once you complete the form, one of our senior advocates will be assigned to your case. The advocate will set an initial consultation (up to 60 minutes) with you to discuss your matter and we will continue to advocate on your behalf until we have an outcome. We will take care of all correspondence and should the matter need to be escalated, Human Rights Advocates Australia can also Advocate on your behalf to the relevant commission.

Make a Complaint

australian Human Rights Commission

Should your matter require escalation to the Human Rights Commission in your state, territory or at the federal level, we can advocate on your behalf to the Human Rights Commission.

These commission's are independent third parties which investigates complaints about discrimination and human rights breaches. It does not act as an advocate or legal representative for a party to a complaint. This is where HRAA step in, to represent you and fight for your rights and resolve the matter with the best possible outcome.

Complaints to the Commission are resolved through a process known as conciliation. Conciliation is a very successful way of resolving complaints. It also helps them to better understand the issues and come up with solutions that are appropriate to their circumstances. Complaint outcomes can include an apology, reinstatement to a job, compensation for lost wages, changes to a policy or developing and promoting anti-discrimination policies. HRAA have managed hundreds of cases with state, territory and federal commissions and have been extremely successful for our clients.

What you will receive:

1. Up to 60 minutes phone consultation with a senior advocate to talk about your complaint and we may ask you to provide more information. We will also explain the process of the relevant commission and provide you with all documentation for your case.

2. We will handle all correspondence and written communications to the commission on your behalf and begin the investigation and communications between the parties involved.

3. Provide dispute resolution and enter into conciliation to achieve the best possible outcome and resolution for you.

Request Representation

Fair Work Commission Representation

If you are an employee (people employed under national awards (modern awards) and national agreements are covered by the Fair Work system), have been terminated unfairly & would like to escalate this to the Fair Work Commission as a complaint, HRAA can assist.

We provide administrative and advocacy work and represent you in the proceedings or if you prefer, we can empower and support you in representing yourself.

Please note, FWC complaints need to be lodged within 21 days of termination from your employment and if you have been employed with the business for less than 6 months, you are ineligible to make a FWC complaint as per the FWC rules.

FWC Representation

Family dispute mediation

In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.

At Measured Mediation & Professional Services, they have a team of Nationally Accredited Mediators who can help you resolve your dispute anywhere in Australia.

Family Dispute Resolution is the term used to describe mediation services that are specifically designed to assist couples and families affected by separation and divorce. The sessions are tailored to facilitate calm discussions around, and solutions to, family disputes. Most people know Family dispute resolution as ‘family mediation’. Typically these types of disputes involve parenting or property matters.

Why Family Dispute Resolution?

Separated families who have a dispute about parenting arrangements, such as children’s matters or property matters, are required by law to make a genuine effort to resolve the dispute through Family Dispute Resolution. It is a highly successful process that produces results and allows people to reach an agreement without the need for Court or expensive legal fees.

Do I need a lawyer to help me resolve these disputes?

Absolutely not! The reason that mediation is encouraged by every court in Australia is that it works and it is significantly cheaper than the alternative.

The average hourly rate of family lawyers is between $400 and $700. Conservatively let’s say your lawyer works on your file 2 hours each week and your matter takes 3 years to resolve (which is the average). On the lower end, your legal costs will be, $124,800 and on the upper end, $218,400. This is excluding Barristers and court fees.

Now, remember that your ex-partner is doing the same thing. So, using the same example, collectively you both spend $400,000 which will more than likely be removed from the property pool. Cutting to the chase, mediation, on the other hand, will cost $3,000, which both parties will pay $1,500 each.

While a case in the court system may take years, a negotiated settlement through the mediation process may only take a number of hours. Although the time it takes to reach a resolution varies from case to case, mediation will more often deliver an outcome agreeable to both parties in a fraction of the time it would take to move the case through the legal system.

Measured Mediation & Professional Services focuses on supporting both parties in reaching an agreeable solution with minimal damage to the relationship. This is often not the case within the legal system, but we believe it is absolutely vital when the parties retain a shared investment in their future, be it family or business. They also recognise that disputes affect more than just those directly involved, and MMPS work hard to minimise that impact, particularly within families.

Why choose Measured Mediation & Professional Services?

They respond quickly to their client needs – unlike other options that may take up to nine months to obtain a mediation date, they can schedule a mediation in less than 21 days. They can also offer urgent mediation services if required.
They offer flexibility to their clients – they understand the challenges of juggling work and family obligations, and provide after-hours and weekend mediation options if required.
They offer specialised services and knowledge in the area of family relationship breakdowns.
They understand that Australians are struggling right now and they charge accordingly. Due to the increase in loss of employment and higher living expenses over the past 2 years, they have lowered their fees in comparison to other mediation organisations.
They provide teleconference facilities for parties in different locations. They understand how busy life can be, so to make it easier, they provide national mediation online, so you do not need to attend an office or have face to face appointments. Simply make a consultation appointment to meet with them.

Measured Mediation & Professional Services has been designed to deliver a holistic service to their clients in a calm and supportive environment that encourages the best possible outcome for all involved.

What should I do now?

At Measured Mediation & Professional Service, they offer a free, initial, no-obligation consultation with one of their Accredited Mediators to discuss whether or not mediation suits you.

Visit Measured Mediation & Professional Services

Contact MMPS