GETTING THE BEST FROM YOUR SUPPORT PERSON AT MEETINGS

At Ea (AUT's Employee Advisory and Resolutions Service), we encourage you to have support during any meeting with us or when facilitated with other parties.

We work through a series of consensual processes. This means that when we bring people together, it is by choice. You may choose to bring a friend, family member, or colleague to support you, and as part of this process, it is essential that everyone in the room knows who will be attending. 

The ideal support person is someone that you know well and trust. 

Some people you may choose as your support person may be:

• A colleague
• A relative
• Union delegates

The less ideal person to choose as a support person may be:

• The avenging angel 
• Line manager
• Advocates, lawyers or barristers
• Power figures

You can choose to have a support person at any time, even if you have declined the opportunity before. If you decide to have a support person, just let us know beforehand so we can also let other participants know. 

Most support people are generally silent in meetings. This is because the issues belong to the participants involved. 

The document below has more detailed information about getting the most from your support person. Feel free to download it as well.