Mediation in teams
If you manage a team of 3, 33, or 333 people, you probably already understand that workplace conflict is inevitable. When conflict occurs, it completely takes over the work environment. The employee in conflict is unable to work, and usually a small conflict between two people quickly grows into a regrouping of the collective - the "small" dispute becomes bigger and more people are involved in it.
And if you haven't encountered it yet - don't count on your luck. The perfect, cohesive team is not the one in which there are no conflicts, but the one that has resolved its conflicts. And if until now you believed that the successful manager resolves the conflicts in the team by himself, it is time to dispel another of your delusions - the successful manager does not resolve the conflict himself, he has behind him a professional trained to resolve conflicts. This person is outside the team, he is external to the environment, and this gives him the opportunity, on the one hand, to be as objective as possible, and on the other hand, it allows the "warring" parties to reveal the real reasons for the conflict. Because let's be honest, no matter how much you get along with your people and be their friend, when they come to talk about a problematic situation in which your colleagues are involved, you always remain the "boss" - they come to you not to resolve the conflict, and to take a side - the side of the "innocent, wronged" employee.
So to answer your question "do I need a mediator?", first answer the question "do I want a cohesive team with resolved conflicts at work?".
Mediation in labor disputes is also applicable in cases of labor disputes resulting from violations of labor discipline, dismissals or re-termination of employment by the employee, as well as disputes between teams within a collective. It is important to resolve these problems as quickly as possible and in the most favorable way for everyone, because they disrupt the normal work process and lead not only to financial losses, but also to the loss of good and valuable personnel for the company.
Characteristic of mediation in individual labor disputes is mostly inequality between the parties. On the one hand, there is the employer, who is in the position of the boss, of power, and on the other hand, there is the worker, who is protected to a certain extent by the law (mainly, but not only by the Labor Code).
As employment mediators, we often also examine the existence and duration of the employment relationship to help the parties consider how they would like it to develop in the future.
In cases where the employment relationship has already been terminated, at the time of the mediation procedure (in cases of dismissal by the employer), the parties can resolve the issues regarding the legality and expediency of the dismissal itself, as well as the possibility of compensation.
In the cases of cases related to violations of labor discipline and the imposition of disciplinary punishments, the mediator often encounters extremely negative emotions - insult, bitterness, anger, and for this purpose, during such procedures, we prefer, within the framework of the mediation procedure, to conduct separate meetings with each side in order to reduce the accumulated tension.
Examples of cases where mediation is recommended:
- Remuneration or benefits arising from employment relationships;
- Recognition of the dismissal as illegal and its cancellation and restoration of previous work;