Mediation in the Workplace
Our mediators, Trish Groves and Roger Gilbert are experienced at helping businesses and organisations deal with conflict in the workplace and helping people in conflict to work through their difficulties. We have mediated conflict between managers and their staff, between managers, between work colleagues, conflict within teams and between trustees – in businesses, local authorities, charities, health trusts and schools.
We can arrange workplace mediations very quickly – in most cases within a matter of days of referral. A workplace mediation is usually completed in a day. If anyone is apprehensive about mediation or unsure if mediation is the best way forward for them, we can speak to them in confidence to provide information, guidance, and reassurance. If you, as a manager or Human Resources professional are aware that conflict is brewing, we can talk things through with you on a confidential and no obligation basis so that you can get some ideas of the best way forward. We can also provide training for teams or individuals in effective communication skills – to avoid problems arising in the first place.
Poor relationships between work colleagues can often cause havoc in the workplace. If conflict is not dealt with effectively, it can affect the morale of whole teams or departments, and time and resources are spent in dealing with management processes and grievance procedures. It can lead to the loss of valuable employees and even stress claims, litigation, or tribunals. It has not been unusual for us to mediate situations where someone has been off sick with stress for months.
Mediation is about helping the parties to talk to each other and work out their own solution to the dispute. One of the most important features of our services is that the parties are able to recognise that our mediators are independent and impartial and do not have an agenda as to how the dispute should be resolved. This creates the feelings of safety and trust which are fundamental to sorting out any kind of conflict. It is very difficult for a manager or a member of the HR team to maintain that degree of impartiality – and more importantly to persuade the parties that they are impartial.
Key features of a workplace mediation
Key features of a workplace mediation are:
- The process is confidential and private.
- Compared with grievance or disciplinary procedures, mediations can resolve ill-feeling speedily and are relatively stress free.
- Most mediations are successful as viewed by management and participants.
- Mediations improve or repair workplace relationships.
