ABSTRACT
This chapter conceptualizes mediation as a form of intervention in which the third party is neutral with respect to the conflict parties and the outcome. The North Carolina Office of State Human Resources (OSHR) implemented a statewide Employee Mediation and Grievance policy to promote an efficient and effective resolution of workplace grievances and provide employees with a less adversarial method for resolving grievances. Explaining the process of mediation is especially important because it is unfamiliar to most grievants, who are more familiar with arbitration and legal approaches to conflict resolution. The mediation evaluation survey included the option to provide more detailed explanations for participants' assessments of the mediation process. The Department of Corrections (DOC) mediation evaluation surveys suggest that participants are extremely satisfied with mediation even when they do not get the outcome they desired. Employee grievances are an inevitable part of the organizational experience.
