Workplace Mediation

Your Problems and Hidden Costs

The cost of work place disputes to your business, of staff being absent from work or working below their potential is considerable. Absence through sickness and time lost because of poor teamwork and dysfunctional work relationships cost businesses dearly. Where staff invoke greivance procedures because they feel they are being unfairly treated, even more time will be taken up trying to get people back to good, fully functional working relationships. Your HR staff will probably be perceived as being 'on your side'. If they have to act robustly it would do a great deal of damage to management/staff relations generally, with an adverse knock on effect for future management.

You are likely to lose staff time through absences, less than optimum performance and if legal proceedings are involved, there is the cost of managerial time, staff time and legal fees. Positions will become polarized and incalculable damage can be done to relationships on the fringe of the original problem. No wonder business managers hesitate before taking action to sort out workplace problems. On the other hand, if action is not taken, hard working and reliable staff become demotivated, because they are having to work harder to make up for lazy or ineffective colleagues. This area is a minefield.

Focus Commercial Mediation offers a highly efficient and cost effective way of resolving these issues. Mediation is quick, constructive, and improves communication between people. Instead of damaging relationships, it improves understanding and facilitates solutions.

Solicitors work by trying to get their clients the best possible outcome. This results in positional bargining and extreme polarization. The costs and risks of losing are high and there is often no common ground between the two extremes, even in though people may want to settle desperately.

Mediators focus on parties' shared interests in resolving their dispute in an acceptable way, quickly & affordably. There is ususally an area of overlap between people's expectations - that is where settlement is possible.

Focus Commercial Mediation has a team of very experienced highly practical mediators. All our team are accredited members of a professional body such as ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution), or CEDR (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution). They have experience in helping businesses and employees to resolve workplace situations.

How Does Workplace Mediation Work?

You tell us what the situation is and what your business would like to achieve. This enables us to decide what approach to take and tell you what the appropriate service will cost. As cases very, we will quote for each case. When you say you want us to go ahead, we will contact the parties involved and set up the mediation. After mediation, a summary of the mediation agreement will be given to you, so that you are aware of the outcome. Confidentiality may prevent full disclosure of all details.

Out costs are paid up front before the mediation starts. If the mediation takes longer than anticipated, we will discuss this with you and agree any increase in fees with you before undertaking the further work.

The mediation will normally be completed within 2 weeks of your first contact with us. It is rare for cases to escalate to an employment tribunal, litigation or ACAS where there has been mediation.

A member of our mediation team will be happy to talk to you about the work we do in the workplace and the different approaches we use.