Alternative Dispute Resolution Consortium

Info for Employees

Employees say this about Mediation:

• My relationship with my manager improved for the first time.
• When I tried mediation, I was on my third EEO Complaint.
• Although I had won my last complaint, the problems with my manager persisted.
• He may have treated me worse because he resented losing the prior EEO Complaint.
• Communication with my manager was poor and I dreaded coming to work.
• During the mediation session, I felt safe expressing my feelings to my manager, because the neutral mediators were present as witnesses and I knew what I said could not be distorted later.
• My manager said he was sorry for some of the things he had said and done, things that had prompted my most recent EEO Complaint.
• He expressed concerns about my work that I had never heard before.
• I understood for the first time some things I needed to change and promised I would try to improve in those areas.
• I delayed filing the third formal EEO Complaint until I was sure I had done everything I could to better my work. I ended up never filing it.
• In the weeks after the mediation session, my manager talked to me more and treated me more fairly. He seemed more patient and less vindictive.
• Understanding my priorities, I did better work in the areas noted by my manager.
• For the first time ever, he gave me some positive feedback.
• No longer dreading coming to the office, I started to enjoy my work more.
• I have now worked for two years without having to file an EEO Complaint, whereas previously I had filed a Complaint each year.
• Mediation resolves problems faster.
• My third EEO Complaint was resolved within a few weeks after I contacted the EEO Counselor.
• My prior two Complaints each dragged on for many months until completion.
• During that time, I was under a lot of stress and things were very tense with my manager at work.
• I developed some medical problems and could not do my best work.
• Mediation is impartial and preserves confidentiality.
• Because the mediators come from another agency, I felt more comfortable speaking openly.
• I knew what I said would not be the subject of gossip in my agency.
• The co-mediators seemed objective and did not appear to be tools of management.
• They seemed to have more power to influence my manager than staff in our agency.
• Although I will probably never see the co-mediators again, I will always be grateful for their assistance."