Mediation can also make the termination of a work relationship more amicable. Parties are generally more satisfied with solutions that have been mutually agreed upon, as opposed to solutions that are imposed by a third party decision-maker. Mediated agreements often help resolve procedural and interpersonal issues that are not necessarily susceptible to legal determination. The parties can tailor their settlement to their particular situation and attend to the fine details of implementation. After a mediation resolution, if a subsequent dispute occurs, parties are more likely to utilize a cooperative forum of problem-solving to resolve their differences than to pursue an adversarial approach.
Participation is strictly voluntary.
In either case, the complaint will be assigned to the Investigation Division, as it would have been had mediation not been offered to the parties. OSC cases are conducted by mediators who are experienced and trained in mediation and federal personnel law. OSC maintains a roster of trained mediators on staff. All internal OSC mediators are neutral unbiased professionals with no stake in the outcome of the mediation process. The complainant and a representative from the employing agency attend the mediation.