Many studies have shown the success of mediation in workplace disputes. This is a way to resolve interpersonal conflicts among management and staff before they create larger issues. To do this, a workplace dispute mediation attorney is often used in Fairfax, VA.
1) Promoting Mediation vs. Formal Complaint
If a company wants to encourage mediation over a formal complaint, it is important to first implement an initial organization-wide communication plan. Encourage mediation of disputes and build a credible resolution process. This allows credibility to be built through word of mouth when people share their experiences of how mediation helped address their matter.
Raise awareness of mediation through your organization’s newsletter, presentations at departmental meetings, testimonials from individuals who benefitted from mediation, and continue to share the resource with managers regularly.
2) Time Frame for Mediation
Typically, workplace dispute mediation should take between 90 minutes and two hours. In most cases, once the parties have told their stories and the mediator has framed the issues for resolution, it will be apparent after 60-90 minutes if the parties are moving toward an agreement.
However, a good rule of thumb is to ask parties to plan for a half-day to be available for mediation. This ensures they don’t feel rushed or pressured for more time.
This is important because parties that do not feel relaxed will not be able to discuss their concerns and resolve disagreements. If it requires more than three hours, a secondary meeting can be scheduled.
3) Mediating Supervisors / Employee Situations
What happens when an employee is afraid of retaliation? Well, the point of mediation is that power differentials remain at the door. Parties should be able to reach a solution without fear of retaliation.
This requires both parties to be transparent on what is non-negotiable and what their fears or concerns may be. If either party continues to fear retaliation, mediation may not be appropriate. Ideally, the employee and company should sign an agreement that there will not be any retaliation and that the details of the mediation process will remain confidential.
Workplace Dispute Mediation Attorney Fairfax VA
Mediation is a great way to settle disputes without going through the formal complaint process. While it is not appropriate for every situation, it does have high rates of success with common issues. To speak to a workplace dispute mediation attorney in Fairfax, VA please contact Cook, Craig, and Francuzenko today.
