Many mediation cases involve allegations of bullying, harassment or discrimination. Mediation allows these issues to be aired in a safe environment, enabling individuals to “deal with the elephant in the room”.
This case involved two employees whose relationship had completely broken down. One of the employees concerned was gay. Another employee had subjected him to homophobic abuse. He had raised a formal grievance following which the perpetrator was dismissed. The mediation was with another colleague who it was alleged had been a bystander and who was now ostracising the gay employee.
The mediation session allowed both employees to air their concerns. The “bystander” felt aggrieved that the grievance had lead to the dismissal of a close friend with considerable impact on his family. The other employee was able to express clearly the impact that the abuse had had on him personally and in a way that lead to real learning and a better understanding between them.
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Alison quickly positioned herself as the ideal choice due to her obvious experience and pragmatism. Alison instantly picked up on the issues and clearly demonstrated her approach to dealing with our problem.
Despite a very tricky, emotive situation, the success of Alison’s work resulted in the retention of an individual who would otherwise have left the company and their successful reintegration into their department.
Through Alison’s subsequent training, our HR team is now equipped to instigate informal mediation processes to head off future issues before they start to fester.
I relied on Alison to deliver an empathetic service and desired result, and she 100% delivered on both aspects.
Senior HR Professional, Major Financial Services Company, South Wales | Senior HR Professional Major Financial Services Company
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Mediation can also be used very effectively where there is a team or group conflict. One recent case involved a well established and highly experienced team who were having difficulty with their current manager.
Many mediation cases involve allegations of bullying, harassment or discrimination. Mediation allows these issues to be aired in a safe environment, enabling individuals to “deal with the elephant in the room”.