Does mediation really work in instances of workplace conflict? Conflict at work can be distracting. It can also hinder performance, increase costly employee turnover, and lead to potential legal issues. These consequences become increasingly likely if the conflict or related tensions have been brewing chronically or over a long period of time. Mediation can...
What are the keys to creating workplace peace? How can leaders go about mitigating risk and managing conflict in organizations? From creating effective communication practices to being knowledgeable of legal considerations, this article focuses on a number of ways of mitigating risk and managing conflict in organizations. On March 18th, Pollack Peacebuilding Systems hosted a...
Summary of: Welsh, N.A. (2021). Introduction to symposium on “ADR’s place in navigating a polarized era.” 35 Ohio St. J. on Disp. Resol., 581. https://scholarship.law.tamu.edu/facscholar/1449/ Background & Theory This article introduces a Symposium related to Alternative Dispute Resolution’s (ADR) role in an increasingly polarized time. The article begins with the idea that the United States is...
A hearing was scheduled to address a lawsuit between a suspended Limestone County Schools (LCS) administrator and the Limestone County Board of Education (LCBOE) in Alabama. The hearing, however, was canceled once the court received notification that the parties had come to an agreement through successful mediation. Details of the Case The employee involved in...
Erickson Living Management, LLC, a Maryland-based company that builds and manages retirement communities in 11 U.S. states is set to pay $151,000 and provide other relief to settle a retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Details of the Case The EEOC’s lawsuit claims that Erickson Living’s director of health services,...
The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) of the United Kingdom has announced a year-long “mediation pilot” to handle disputes between oil and gas licensees, operators, and infrastructure owners in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS). The pilot is being rolled out with the intention of testing how effective mediation can be in resolving disputes between these...
Summary of: Ramirez Munoz, S. (2017). Understanding social conflict: Reason or emotion? In E. Morales-Lopez & A. Floyd (Eds.), Developing new identities in social conflicts (pp. 67-82). Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company. Background & Theory The author explores social conflict theory, how we understand it currently, and how we should view it moving forward. Ramirez...
Titus-Will, a popular Pacific Northwest auto dealer, will pay over one hundred thousand dollars in a disability lawsuit brought on by the EEOC. What Happened? The company allegedly allowed one of their employees to take a day off in order to undergo an MRI exam of his head. The man’s managers asked about the results...
Air France is flying to new heights, thanks to alternative methods of dispute resolution. The company turned to mediation following the introduction of the Macron Law of 2015, which provided the company the opportunity to step away from their culture of lawsuits. Lawsuit Culture Before they adopted mediation as a company policy for settling conflict,...
Diversified Maintenance Systems, LLC is being sued by the EEOC for racial discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. On top of paying three-quarters of a million dollars in damages, they will appoint a monitor that ensures they do not violate their non-discrimination agreement that is a part of their settlement. They will also create a hiring plan...
