Should My Business Adopt a Policy Requiring Mediation of Disputes?

If you are a business owner that could potentially face a lawsuit brought by an employee, a vendor, or client, you know how costly legal disputes can be, both in terms of time lost and money lost. Adopting a policy of alternative dispute resolution for all stakeholders in your business can help you avoid the lengthy, expensive court battle that could damage your business and your personal reputation. As part of the policy, consider including in any contracts and employment relationships a requirement that all disputes be submitted to mediation before going to court. Here are some questions you should ask in making this commitment.

• Can we change our “corporate culture” to encourage mediation and other alternative forms of dispute resolution?
• What written policies should we incorporate into our client/vendor contracts?
• Should we revise our employee handbook to include a provision mandating that all employment-related disputes be submitted to mediation before going into litigation? How do we implement such a policy?
• How important is it for our legal team to be trained to negotiate in an effort to achieve our business goals? Should we expect our corporate counsel to undergo mediation training?
• How do we train our managers to engage in productive mediation?

Obviously, each company is different and every business has its own set of priorities. If you would like to know more about how employment mediation can benefit your company or you have a specific situation in which you believe mediation could provide the most efficient and effective resolution, contact our office online or call 303-798-2533 to schedule a consultation.