Employment and workplace situations are fertile grounds for differences of opinion, power imbalances and conflict. Many workplace conflicts fester and continue until one person either leaves the workplace or verbally, physically or mentally erupts. Bellingham Mediation helps resolve workplace conflicts “in-house” before complaints are filed with outside agencies. Mediation by a neutral third party (mediator) is often exactly what is needed for parties to feel heard and understood, to resolve the conflict, avoid formal complaints to outside agencies, and to help those involved move on to be more productive and successful employees.
As a former employment attorney and equal opportunity and diversity administrator for three universities and a large public agency, Sheri Russell has more than 25 years’ experience and knowledge addressing, litigating and mediating the following types of conflicts:
- Discrimination and/or Harassment Complaints
- Performance Issues
- Employee-Supervisor conflicts
- Employee-Employee conflicts
- Disability or Religious Accommodations
- Family and Medical Leave Act Issues
- Wrongful or Constructive Discharge
- Employment Contract and Non-compete Issues
For workplace issues, Bellingham Mediation can help through mediation, individual conflict coaching and group facilitated workshops. In mediation, all parties work together to calmly and collaboratively discuss the issues and create agreements to resolve the issues and move forward. In individual conflict coaching, Sheri works directly with an individual to define the issue, identify interests, brainstorm options and create proposals to resolve the issues, which the individual then brings to the other person(s) involved.