Disputes between employer and employee or disagreements in the workplace can been extremely costly to businesses, schools, charities and any organisation where people work. The cost is usually not only monetary.
The higher cost is often in the sapping of internal morale, the questioning of values, and the draining effect that such problems can have on all in the workplace.
The use of a neutral mediator can often defuse a situation long before the matter reaches the stage where an Employment Tribunal is threatened. But if an Employment Tribunal is the next step, then, like the commercial courts, the Tribunal will usually allow time for mediation to take place.
Questions such as perceived bullying or favouritism, challenges to working practices and redundancy or benefit entitlements are all areas that have been successfully resolved through mediation. Many trades unions and staff associations now encourage their members to consider mediation.
Often such matters can be resolved within a single mediation session – perhaps a day or half-day. But sometimes it is necessary for the mediation to be spread over a few days, particularly if a large group of individuals is involved.
In some cases the settlement agreed through mediation may need to be reviewed after a bedding-in time. The mediation process is a very flexible one and the Solent Mediation Group mediators are proficient in building a process that will meet the needs of the individual situation.
Around 75-80% of mediations resolve in settlement.
