Can people share their knowledge and experience about Mediation?

[foxytocin]

I am asking for mediation with my direct line manager (education sector) What happens? How do I approach it. I tried an informal reconciliation with a deputy head in our dept a couple months ago and it was a disaster. Now I think it needs to be official but I have never in 24 yrs of work had 'issues' with my boss. Wish I wasn't wearing these shoes right now.

Experience outside education sector is welcome.

maybe not a good time of the day for this but

bump

just in case

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I haven't been through it myself but have arranged it for others. I did it through ACAS and it was all totally confidential - the mediator only shared what the parties involved agreed could be.

The mediator spent some time with each of the individuals to understand their point of view and then facilitated a joint meeting to try and reach some agreement on issues. The parties involved each agreed things they would do to improve the situation.

There are still issues there but the mediation did improve things. Think it works best if all the parties are committed to it and to any actions agreed.

HTH

I am in the process of mediation with the school I am working at. It is called pre claim reconcilliation. I am making an equal pay claim.

It is working really well and the school has agreed to hay grade my job. It really helped as the school was completely ignoring my grievence and county were dragging their feet.

It is important with a grievence you complain about the situation, not personalities.

Thanks for both your replies. Reallytired, can you expand on what you mean by 'personalities' maybe with an example. (being thick here, sorry) Right now I think the HT is hoping this is going to go away because he is retiring after this term. I OTOH do not want to drag this out into September because it isn't going away for me.

How do you think the school has broken the law? Then I can think how you best put forward your grievance.

For example, before I went on maternity leave I worked under a network manager. During my maternity leave he left and I was given no pay rise inspite of having to take on substantially more responsiblity. I put in a grievance wanting equal pay with a friend who works in a different school. I have stated that the school has broken the law rather than making personal insults about senior management.

You also need to be careful dates. If you are complaining about a particular incident then you only have three months to put in a claim into an employment tribunal.

I suggest you talk to citizen's advice bureau or ACAS.

In this case I have hard evidence of harrassment and victimisation. I returned from ML last May and within a couple weeks she said something stunningly unsupportive which at the time I just filed in the back of my brain for future reference. She became my HOD the previous Sept when I started my ML so I didn't know her at all in May. In January she sent an absurd email which was implying that I was being neglectful of my assessment and marking. I tried an informal reconciliation with a deputy head who is also in my dept and it was a disaster. She really was on indefensible grounds and I think that she left the meeting rather shaken as I think the dep head got insight into some problems in the department that she was till then unaware. In mid-March she sent another email, this time copying in the HT this time. I contacted my union. Had a meeting with the Head about the claims in her email. He is satisfied that I have nothing to answer for. I told him right after Easter break (mid April) that I want an official mediation meeting. The main reasons are A. to give her the opportunity to back off. B. Any future correspondence like this and I will lodge an official grievance. (this is on union advice to do mediation first because grievance panels can have a dim view when people who are supposed to be professionals don't even attempt to resolve disputes in-house.) My union's other advice is that it would be foolish to 'do nothing' about this case.

Head said in April that he will get the ball rolling asap but nothing since. It would be conducted by personnel, a dep head who has no previous involvement, me, her, and I am bringing along a union rep so I suspect she'll bring hers too. On what you have said in your last post re 3 month limit, on Monday I will write the HT a short letter reminding him of the request for mediation and cc it to my union rep. What do you think.

let me rephrase slightly...

"On what you have said in your last post re 3 month limit, I think I ought to write the HT a short letter reminding him of the request for mediation and cc it to my union rep. and deliver it to him on Monday. What do you think?

Sorry to hear you are having a bad time at work.

My best tip is to be utterly professional in the meeting and try to be unemotional about the situation. Make it clear that you have copious written evidence on everything from your own notes of all conversations etc.

Have clear picture of what you are trying to achieve as an outcome at all times and speak to ACAS for their advice and support

who does the mediator work for btw?

the mediator would be personnel from the Local Authority/LEA.

Bobbalina, I am far enough removed from the events now that I can look at this from an outsider's pov and remain professional about it.

But if you have the backing of the head, why hasn't he/she dealt with the head of dept, why exactly do you need mediation?

I wouldn't say he is backing me. I think he is trying to stay neutral and would rather handle it down official channels. He confesses himself that this sort of personnel issue is a minefield and he does not believe he has the right skills to be doing it though he admits doing two this year alone.

Plus he is retiring at the end of this school year anyway and it makes more sense to have someone who is not already 'tainted' with what has happened before mediation to be involved in it for the first time. I tend to agree with him.