When the System Destroys the Very People It Should Protect

I’ve been doing this work for a while, and I thought I had seen it all. But every so often, a case hits harder than the rest; that one that makes you want to scream in frustration at the injustice of it all.

I wrote to a colleague today because I needed to vent. It’s breaking my heart. I’m watching a client - someone who should never have been put in this position -being destroyed. His employer caused his breakdown. And now? He's out of entitlements, yet they won’t pay him special leave pay. He is a single parent, has a mortgage, bills to pay. He’s on Leave Without Pay while they drag this out.

Yes, we’ve filed in the Employment Relations Authority, but justice moves slowly, and in the meantime, he’s left struggling - financially, mentally, emotionally. The damage is done and is being compounded with every nasty HR letter he receives. 

And this isn't just one case; it’s a pattern. Employers use delay tactics and power imbalances to wear workers down, knowing most won’t have the strength or resources to keep fighting.

It makes me so angry. And frustrated. And exhausted.

I get why "anti-bully" advocates in New Zealand litigate openly on Facebook because sometimes, shining a light on injustice is the only way to hold these employers accountable. The law is there, but what good is it if the process itself grinds people down?

So, I ask again - how do you cope with this? How do you keep doing this work without breaking under the weight of it? Because right now, it feels impossible.