What is conciliation?
Conciliation is an informal, private meeting to help you and the decision-maker consider possible options to reach an agreement before a hearing.
If the application has not been finalised during the conference process, we will usuallyhold conciliation. Conciliation is conducted by a Conciliator, and attended by you and the representative of the decision-maker. A representative of your employer might also attend the conciliation.
Check the Guide to Workers’ Compensation Jurisdiction for more information about conciliation.
Where will conciliation be held?
At an AAT office, however you can attend in person or by telephone.
We will write to you with the date, time and location of the conciliation.
How can I prepare for conciliation?
If represented, you must complete the Conciliation checklist for applicants. You are not required to lodge this with us, but you must bring a copy of the completed checklist and any supporting documentation to the conciliation.
All applicants and decision-makers can use the Conciliation preparation toolkit [PDF, 235KB] to help prepare for conciliation. The toolkit does not need to be given to us or another party, and is also available online.
What happens at conciliation?
The AAT conciliator will give you and the decision-maker an opportunity to:
- discuss the issues in the case from your perspective
- discuss information about the case and hear each other’s point of view
- consider possible options for reaching your own agreement
- record facts or issues where there is agreement, saving time at a hearing
- discuss what happens next, if full agreement cannot be reached.
Check Confidentiality in ADR processes for information about confidentiality of conciliation.
What happens if I cannot attend the conciliation?
You should tell us as soon as possible and we might be able to change the date.
If you do not attend the conciliation and you do not have a good reason, we might dismiss the review.
Other ADR processes
We can also use other types of alternative dispute resolution processes to help parties reach an agreement before a hearing.