Workplace Mediation
Conflict in the workplace is a common occurrence. In fact, statistics tell us that managers spend approximately 20% of their time dealing with conflict. On a 40 hour work week, that is 8 hours – a full day per week!
The good news is that conflict can be positive and it doesn’t have to be harmful to the workplace if it is managed well, it doesn’t continue for a prolonged period of time, and it isn’t allowed to escalate.
Unfortunately when it’s not managed well it has a major impact on the business and the people in the business. Safework Australia published a report based on information collected via telephone from 4,242 employees nationwide.
The key findings from this report included:
- The total cost of depression to Australian employers due to presenteeism and absenteeism is estimated to be approximately $6.3 billion per annum.
- Workers with psychological distress took four times as many sick days per month and had a 154% higher performance loss at work than those not experiencing psychological distress. This equates to an average cost of $6,309 per annum in comparison with those not experiencing psychological distress.
- Relative to workers with high engagement, workers with low engagement have approximately 12% more sick days per month and an average performance loss of eight per cent, costing employers $4796 per annum.
These statistics provide us with an alarming reality which shows us the extent of how workplace conflict impacts on employee’s mental health, as well as the enormous cost to businesses.
How Workplace Mediation Helps
Worplace Mediation can be the most cost effective and successful solution to the conflict in your workplace. As a Workplace Meditation Specialist, I can come to your business and work with those involved to resolve the conflict. First I will meet individually with the people involved in the conflict so they can tell me their story and I can listen. This also gives me time to coach the people involved in the conflict in a private setting.
I will also speak to HR, who will usually inform me of what has occurred from their point of view.
After that I will have a joint mediation session with all the parties involved to see if we can come to a resolution. When the parties are making agreements, I will ensure that we communicate and put into place agreements and practical steps which will be able to be carried out within the workplace.
Ensure a Healthy Workplace Environment in the Future
Once I have completed the mediation process, you can choose to upskill your staff to make sure that they are able to resolve future conflict with others themselves and are able to facilitate a process to help others to resolve their conflict with each other.
Being able to resolve conflict effectively is a skill and it can be learned. I am highly experienced in providing conflict resolution training and creating the capacity within people which they will need to deal with complex matters themselves in the future without the help of a mediator.
To find out more about the training services I offer, click here.
In my experience, as a mediator I often come across structural problems within the organisation throughout a workplace mediation process. What I mean by that is sometimes in mediation it becomes evident that even if the parties make new agreements, it is likely that conflict will occur again with these parties or other parties. This is not because of the parties involved but because the system or the culture within the business creates a certain environment for this to show up. I will be able to let the business know what my diagnosis is of the structural problems within organisation and provide a solution for dealing with that if the organisation would like me to do so.
If you want to know more, book me as a mediator or would like me to come in to train you staff in conflict resolution and mediation skill please call me on 0412 233 752 or email me at lisanne@lifemediation.com.au.
What Our Clients Say
Discover how organisations have efficiently and effectively resolved workplace issues using Life Mediation’s Workplace Mediation services.