Peninsula Face2Face - Mediation: happy employees, means productive employees

As Peninsula Face2Face continues to grow, more and more clients are realising how invaluable this new service can be for them. Although a significant number of the meetings that Peninsula Face2Face Consultants conduct result in the breaking of the employment relationship (either by way of recommending a dismissal following a disciplinary hearing or by a mutual termination of the employment by way of a settlement agreement), we have also seen a significant number of instances whereby Peninsula Face2Face involvement has helped to repair a previously fraught employment relationship. Trust and confidence between employee and employer (and between employee and fellow employee) is vital. It can take a long time to rebuild bridges once the relationship has been damaged. Mediation is an area of real growth both within Employment Law generally and as part of the Peninsula Face2Face Service. In fact, it is the fastest type of meeting that Peninsula Face2Face conducts for our clients. At Peninsula Face2Face, we have a team of professionally trained Mediators who can conduct a full day’s mediation at your premises. The current success rate of the service is now over 90%. Mediation sessions can be between yourself and your employee, between two employees, or even between fellow Directors & Managers. The ultimate aim is to find an amicable resolution to the matter and propose practical and workable solutions that enable you to move your business forward. Mediation can help with a wide range of disputes, from the potentially quite serious to matters that seem much more trivial. We recently mediated in one complaint where the main source of contention was “employee ‘A’ failed to make me a cup of tea for employee ‘B’”! As strange as it sounds, these trivial matters can escalate quickly and may result in lengthy grievance procedures (including the possibility of counter grievances, collective grievances, appeals and even formal disciplinary action). Of course, when this happens, both the costs and time involved in dealing with them can spiral almost out of control, and the risk of resignations and constructive dismissal claims can rise. Mediation is intended to prevent a formal grievance procedure being initiated or even can be a suggested outcome following a formal grievance procedure. One session of Peninsula Face2Face Mediation could therefore effectively ‘nip the problem in the bud’ and, by doing so, make employees see the other side’s point of view and, crucially, save your business a significant amount of time, stress, money and wasted resources in having to address things formally. For further information on how Peninsula Face2Face can help you and your business, please call a member of the Peninsula Face2Face team a call on 0844 892 3911.