Businesses should choose FICM employment clauses and dispute methods for settling disputes.

Particularly when they hire personnel abroad, when they send their own personnel abroad or when they hire workers from abroad.

For the employer

Complaints from employees, disagreements between you and an employee or disputes between two employees can all prove costly for your business.

Conflict at work can lessen productivity and, if taken to a tribunal, costs time and money and can damage the working environment.

Prevention is better than cure

• staff appraisals can reveal discontent
• in-house gossip can put you on notice of potential problems
• mediation can be used at an early stage to avoid situations escalating

Think of mediation as an in-house service, there to be used before anyone starts talking about employment law

How Mediation can help

• Mediation happens quickly, saving you time and money
• it helps to maintain future working relationships and may even strengthen them
• mediation provides win-win solutions
• unlike court proceedings, mediation is entirely confidential, protecting the reputation of the business
• it gives you the chance to prevent disputes escalating. The non-adversarial format gives all parties the chance to have their say and offers a forum for productive negotiation and settlement.

For the employee

Dissatisfaction at work causes stress and the worry of the cost and time involved in a court case is very real.

If you are unhappy with your terms of employment or you’re in dispute with your employer or another employee, you may feel that going to a tribunal is your only option, but how are you going to pay?

How Mediation can help

• mediation avoids the cost and time involved in a tribunal
• it provides a neutral forum for you to air your views
• it gives you the power to negotiate a solution, rather than placing decisions in the hands of the court
• mediation is non-confrontational, and finding a mutually acceptable solution can help you to retain good working relationships with your colleagues
• unlike a court case, mediation is totally confidential.