There's a lot of Covid commentary around and rightly so. These are big issues. But it also means a tonne of other stuff might be sliding by us. So this week I wrote about the Mayor of Wairoa 1/? https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/121252191/alison-mau-wairoa-mayors-metoo-moment-a-shame-for-local-democracy

He was facing accusations of sexual harassment by an employee, and as has happened in thousands of other cases, the employer and the employee reached a settlement.

This is something complainants are often convinced to do through mediation. Their lawyers often tell them it's the only way forward, and sometimes they are right. A settlement with a payout is often the only kind of justice the complainant an expect, so they take it.

And the settlement usually comes with an NDA or non-disclosure agreement. This supposedly means it can go to court if they say anything to anyone (sometimes that includes family too) about the complaint, the outcome, or in some cases, even that there was one.

You'll be familiar with those from the Harvey Weinstein story. Most of the women who came forward about him were breaching their NDAs at great risk to themselves. Not everyone can afford to do that

So, they try to move on with their lives. In this case though, there was a workplace investigation that could have continued (to ensure the Wairoa Council was indeed a safe place) after the negotiated settlement.

For some reason it did not go ahead. None of the employment experts we have talked to can even begin to explain why that might be. Although it took 2 years to get the Council to admit it, we now know the investigation was abruptly dropped despite the Council's own rules

which say if there's a prima facie case established (which there was in this example) the investigation should proceed. The fact that the complaint was withdrawn in not material

Why is this one case so important? Why talk about little ol' Wairoa? Because it's a good reminder that these cases happen, lives are affected, and sometimes public servants, whose wages are paid by voters, cover it up until the Ombudsman finally makes them fess up.

which friggin stinks if you ask me