Ultimately, if a problem can't be resolved either through the Mediation Center or the ombuds office, employees still may have the option to file a formal complaint with HR-2. The new service, he continued, differs from the ombuds office in that the ombuds office handles broader issues. The Mediation Center, for example, handles matters that if unresolved, could progress to a formal grievance. The ombuds program, in contrast, provides assistance for any work-related concern, said Trujillo. Trujillo said the new service out of HR-2 came about as a result of a task force that recommended starting a Mediation Center at the Lab.
Mediation allows employees to solve their own issues with the hep of a third party.
Mediation not only preserves the working relationship, it strengthens it through understanding and communication. Trujillo said about 15 employees Labwide have been trained as mediators. Another call for mediators may go out later this summer, he said. The only caveat is that a trained employee can't mediate a case from within his or her own organization. Trujillo said when an employee asks Walterscheid for a mediator, she will contact any of the trained mediators.