Workplace Mediation

Is a workplace dispute ready for mediation, or does it need investigation first? Colin Bourne explains how HR can assess suitability, encourage participation and prepare colleagues.

For many line managers, some of the most difficult workplace situations do not begin with a formal grievance. They begin much earlier, often with a quiet conversation after a meeting, a concern raised during a one-to-one, a complaint about a colleague’s tone, or a growing sense that two members of the team are no longer working well together. At that stage, there may be no written complaint, no formal allegation and no obvious requirement to begin a formal process, yet this i

Understanding the problem - the workplace grievance is often only the visible part of the problem One of the most striking features of workplace disputes is the extent to which the formal grievance can become the visible part of a much wider problem. By the time a grievance reaches HR, the events set out in the complaint may already sit within a longer history of difficult conversations, misjudged exchanges, changing expectations, perceived slights and deteriorating trust. Th

Workplace disagreements are inevitable. People have different working styles, priorities, personalities and expectations, and most differences can be managed through ordinary conversations and good management. Sometimes, however, a disagreement develops into something more serious. Communication breaks down. Positions become entrenched. A grievance is raised. Someone goes off sick. A manager-employee relationship deteriorates. Colleagues who need to work together begin avoidi