EI in appeals may clarify and resolve the concerns of the appellant much more quickly than going to a formal appeal hearing. The EI meeting is a more informal and less confrontational process where the parties are encouraged to openly discuss their concerns in a more comfortable atmosphere. For the department's or the appellant's representative, it may save preparation time for the appeal hearing. For the appellant and manager it may improve working relationships. The EI process may result in the withdrawal of the appeal or a concession by the department.
Any agreement reached between parties concerning their individual concerns is binding.
However there can be no binding resolution that affects the outcome of the selection process. For example, if the department concedes that the selection was not made according to merit, the appeal must be conceded at a formal appeal hearing in order to give the successful candidates an opportunity to be heard. It is designed to facilitate an early resolution to staffing disputes and contextual issues, to assist communication in disclosure, and to render any necessary appeal hearing more efficient, less time consuming, and less costly. Communications between the parties and with the recourse officer regarding the selection process and the appeal will not generally be considered to be confidential, as they are part of the disclosure process. However, communications regarding resolution of the concerns of the parties may be considered to be confidential, as determined by the parties on the advice of the recourse officer.