This sounds like a problem that Mediation may help with! Mediation is a voluntary process led by an impartial third party to resolve conflict. Conflict can occur in any employment relationship and is best dealt with by a third party who can be impartial.  

 Mediation is often described as a form of informal or ‘alternative’ dispute resolution (ADR), as it’s less formal than the more traditional grievance and discipline procedures and employment tribunals. It nonetheless follows a structured approach. 

 Mediation can be used at any stage of a disagreement or dispute. The process is flexible and voluntary, and any agreement is morally rather than legally binding. The process aims to create a safe, confidential space for those involved (the ‘parties’) to find solutions that are acceptable to each side. Specifically, mediation provides the potential to: 

• Help parties involved in conflict hold open conversations that would normally be too difficult to have constructively. 
• Help parties to understand and empathise with each other’s emotions and situations. 
• Explore all parties’ issues and concerns and use joint problem-solving to find a solution that each side feels is fair. 
• Encourage communication and establish workable relationships. 
• Help participants develop the skills to resolve workplace difficulties for themselves in future. 

A trained or experienced mediator’s role is to act as an impartial third party who facilitates a meeting between two or more people in dispute, to help them reach an agreement. Although the mediator oversees the process, any agreement comes from those in dispute. 

Meraki HR can help you to resolve informal disputes as we are experienced in managing conflict resolution. For more complex workplace issues, we work with a number of trained mediators.