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Conciliation
Last updated July 2025
This chapter explains how Fair Work Commission conciliations proceed and the common outcomes.
What is conciliation?
Definition: Conciliation
Conciliation occurs when parties in dispute meet to try to identify and settle the issues about which they disagree.
Conciliation occurs when parties in dispute meet to try to identify and settle the issues about which they disagree.
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) uses conciliation conferences to help resolve disputes between an employer and an employee (or employees). Conciliation conferences are usually conducted by telephone conciliation in an informal, private and generally confidential process where an FWC conciliator seeks to resolve a dispute by agreement.
The disputes are commonly relating to:
- unfair dismissal claims (read more);
- general protections disputes (read more);
- unlawful termination claims (read more);
- flexible work arrangements (read more);
- unpaid parental leave extensions (read more);
- disputes referred to the FWC under a modern award clause (read more);
- disputes relating to stand downs (read more); or
- bargaining disputes (read more).