WORKPLACE MEDIATION

A major trend emerging on the American employment scene is the creation of workplaces that are more collaborative and less confrontational, more team-oriented and less hierarchical. Employers and employees alike are realizing the absurdity of dealing with each other as adversaries when they must produce goods or perform services together. Forward-looking companies are investigating management and production systems that emphasize informed participation, decentralized authority and expanded responsibility. Consistent with these goals, they are finding that mediation is the best dispute resolution process.

Mediation of workplace disputes is also useful for companies that have no plans to change the structure or philosophy of their organizations. Employment litigation is enormously costly, in terms of dollars spent, time and energy lost, and relationships destroyed. Mediating disputes as they arise in the workplace can help avoid those costs.

WORKPLACE MEDIATION OFFERS IMPORTANT BENEFITS:

*Provides fast, creative, mutually satisfactory resolutions.
*Provides more resolution options
*Provides resolutions that work better and last longer than authoritatively imposed resolutions   because everyone involved buys into them
*Fosters mutual respect through improved communication
*Mends and preserves frayed working relationships, even when the parties are extremely angry

THE MEDIATOR'S TASK:

*Is to open communications between them about the reasons for the positions they have taken with each other, helping both parties to understand as fully as possible their own and the other's view of the situation.
*Is to encourage both to look at the dispute through different lenses: What do they think will work as a practical matter? What do they think will be fair? What do they think will best honor and promote a good working relationship?

There are certain types of workplace conflicts in which any company would be well-advised to offer mediation. These include:

1. Sexual harassment complaints.

The employer can save its relationship with both employees and avoid an expensive and painful lawsuit.

2. Disputes between employees.

The employees are offered a controlled setting in which to air their differences, guidance in communicating effectively about them, and a chance to make agreements about how they will function together in the future.

3. Deteriorating performance.

Mediation can help understanding other's needs, requirements and requests and can yield an agreement about how to work together in the future.

4. Terminations.

Through the mediation process, the employee has a chance to communicate severance needs and to affect the nature and quality of the severance package, while the employer has an opportunity to eliminate its litigation exposure.

Mediation of workplace disputes is the way of the future. It achieves the most satisfactory, timely and cost-effective resolution of disputes. It is also helpful in creating a collaborative workplace culture.

We offer certified mediators to conduct your mediations at a rate of $150.00 per hour.

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE IN THE WORKPLACE

All businesses face workplace grievances. It is a fact of life that when people work together there are going to be conflicts