Featured post

The benefits of using workplace mediation services

mediation servicesRegardless of what your dispute is about it really is always better to employ some sort of mediation services to help you resolve the matter. The benefits are multiple and one that comes to mind immediately is saving time and legal costs. Mediators can really help mitigate a conflict reaching the courts of law and we know how costly and timely this process can be.

In basic terms when two opposing sides have and issue that they were not able to resolve by simply talking to each other, it’s best to find a mediator who can assist in bringing the dispute to agreement and ultimately resolution. One crucial condition is that both conflicting parties are willing to sit at the round table and negotiate with the presence of a mediator.

Mediator’s task is to gather as much information as possible before calling the meeting to order and then open up the gathering by explaining the workplace mediation process in which he or she does not have the authority to make any decisions nor force either conflicting parties to a particular outcome. They’re merely there to – mediate! They are then to allow each person to talk and express their point of view, how they see the issue and what their grievance is with the other person.

Australian Government’s so called Fair Work Ombudsman has a free and confidential mediation service and according to them, eight out of ten people successfully resolve their issues quickly and easily using mediation process. The assistance from their mediation services can be requested by either an employee or the employer and only if it hadn’t already been resolved. Most disputes happen due to the breakdown in communication and mediation is the right way to get both parties talking.

fair work australiaMediator’s role is to not to judge or provide legal advice or take sides; it is all about being impartial and talking to people with disagreements to find workable solution that both sides are happy with. Fair Work mediation service is conducted over the phone with a group discussion where parties express their viewpoint and their particular pain points. You are allowed to have a support person like a family member, a friends, interpreter, lawyer, union or some other workplace association. For more information you can go to their website http://www.fairwork.gov.au/mediation

If the work dispute is between two employees then the dispute resolution process can take a place in the workplace itself not requiring the services of professional and qualified mediation specialists. The role can be filled by a manager, a HR person or even another individual contributor, another employee.

Should the grievance exist between an employee and the company and it wasn’t resolved by internal negotiations involving human resources department, this could signal a good time to employ the services of workplace mediators. You will find that some law firms will have dedicated facilities for mediation services and one of those legal firms is McArdle Legal. McArdle has a whole floor dedicated to mediation and are ideally located in the heart of Sydney CBD.

There are obvious advantages of having employment lawyers mediate your workplace issue as they know what is possible further down the track if the matter ands up in the courts so they can help set appropriate expectations which in turn increases the chances of resolution without entering the court system.

Consultation and Cooperation At Work

There are quite a few rewards for business owners who pursue best practice consultation and cooperation mechanisms. These suggestions promote communication in between the company and employees and in some circumstances are not only procedures but the actual employment law.

workplace cooperationA typical occasions wherein the company should consult and cooperate with their personnel that may include their trade unions are cited beneath:

– As soon as the company is wishing to lay off more than 10 personnel as a consequence of fiscal, structural, technological or related grounds. This number will evidently vary with regards to the size of the enterprise.

– In the event the firm expects to generate big changes on the job that impact employees hours or various other conditions which includes wage.

– In the context of personnel calling for alterations to their working arrangements; illustration of this flexible working hours that could involve working from home.

– In case of any alterations towards the workplace safety and health policy, processes or procedures.

Organizations can make use of following techniques to begin and continue delivering the discussion and cooperation system on the job: offer continuous workforce gatherings, launch workplace committees, maintain planned efficiency and progress reviews, send out repeated documented communications in a form of email newsletters and ultimately urge personnel reaction in the course of the conferences or even by sending interior web-based surveys.

Irrespective of consultation approach system, hiring managers should be mindful of varying labour force backgrounds, ethnic, language along with distinctions and limitations. Each of these best ways can be carried out by means of human resource guidelines, workforce agreements or alternative management structures.

Three most suitable methods for consultation and cooperation on the job are:

1. Talk to employment lawyers 1st and after that inform the workforce just what the firm is considering in modifying, precisely what process the corporation attempts to pursue as well as who will be making the verdict.

2. This is the consulting step and it entails relaying further details of the planned changes and exactly how that is going to affect the commerce and employees. Ask for workforce reaction and value everyone’s view specially the concerned group or a section. Achieve this via meetings, forums, email or online surveys. The moment reactions are gathered, carefully consider the input and ideas and try to further improve the procedure of the planned changes.

3. This is the review and implementation point that requires ultimately understanding the ideas and knowledge obtained and examine that next to enterprise requirements. Just after acknowledging and recording the decision and rationale behind it, communicate the decision and motives back to the staff and / or their representatives. Put into action the change after which the business will need to look for one further feedback on how the entire decision making system and implementation could be polished in the future.

Whilst employer is not obliged to secure the agreement from people and their representative unions with regards to planned changes, the consultative undertaking is going to boost the cooperation at work. Whatever changes nonetheless need to comply with whatever government workforce laws.

Website about Mediation


Why not try mediate your issue using mediation services before having to resort to expensive and drawn out legal process of going through courts. We hope to be able to help you with that and offer loads of resources on this website. We’d love to hear your comments, feedback and any other insights.