Employment disputes: resolving them before they define the workplace

Why employment matters mediate well

Employment disputes carry two costs: the legal claim and the story that travels with it. Public filings, depositions of colleagues and months of uncertainty damage both the employee's next job search and the employer's standing with its remaining staff. Mediation contains both.

These matters also involve non-monetary terms that a court cannot easily order — a neutral reference letter, an agreed characterisation of the separation, a corrected personnel record, a return of personal property, a revised policy. Those terms are frequently what makes a settlement possible.

Common matters

Wrongful termination and constructive discharge; discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims; unpaid wages, overtime and misclassification; unemployment-insurance separations; non-compete and confidentiality disputes; and negotiated exits before a claim is ever filed.

Preparing as an employee

Bring the offer letter or contract, the handbook provisions you relied on, pay records, performance reviews and the written communications around the events in dispute. Be ready to say what you need going forward, not only what went wrong.

Preparing as an employer

Send someone with actual settlement authority. Know your exposure range and your internal precedent — what you have paid in comparable matters — and be clear about which terms are policy and which are negotiable.