Employee Dispute Resolution

Have you ever been in a workplace situation where a supervisor has made a decision that you didn’t agree with? Did you wish that you could ask someone else what they thought of the decision; whether they would have done the same thing? The peer review process offers employees just that chance, using a formalized procedure to ask, consider, and resolve just these sorts of questions. This course will teach you everything you need to know about employee dispute resolution through mediation.

After you complete this course, you will be able to:

• Describe what the peer review process is.
• Apply a process for employees to file grievances and for management to respond.
• Choose a facilitator and panel.
• Understand what is involved in the hearing process, from preliminary meetings to the hearing, and the decision process.
• Explain what responsibilities and powers a panel should have.
• Apply professional questioning and probing techniques.
• Understand why peer review panels fail and how to avoid those pitfalls.

Course Topics:

Session One: Course Overview

• Learning Objectives 

Session 2: What is Peer Review?

• Defining Peer Review
• EDR and ADR
• Objectives of Peer Review
• Peer Review Roles
• When to Use Peer Review

Session 3: Initiating the Proces

• The First Three Stages
• The Employee’s Role
• The Grievance Form
• The Manager’s Role
• Obtaining Witness Statements
• Other Documents
• Making Connections
• Record of Disciplinary Action

Session 4: The Peer Review Panel

• Appointing a Facilitator
• The Facilitator's Responsibilities
• Ensuring Fairness
• Choosing the Panel
• Making Connections: Case Study One
• Case Study Two
• Case Study Three
• Case Study Four
• The Panel's Contract
• The Panel’s Role and Responsibilities

Session 5: Asking Questions

• Asking Good Questions
• Open Questions vs. Closed Questions
• Closed Questions
• Open Questions
• Overcoming Closed Questions
• Probing
• Results of Probing
• Probing Tools
• Pushing My Buttons
• Part Two

Session 6: The Peer Review Process

• Preparing for the Hearing
• Group Work
• Deciding the Question
• Making Connections
• The Hearing
• Making the Decision
• Questions to Ask
• Voting
• The Decision
• About Recommendations

Session 7: Panel Walkthrough

• Preparation
• Role One: Aaron Mayfield (Employee)
• Role One: Aaron Mayfield (Employee)
• Role Two: Jason Smith (Supervisor)
• Role Two: Jason Smith (Supervisor)
• Role Three: Lucinda Donalds (Witness)
• Role Three: Lucinda Donalds (Witness)
• Panel Presentation
• Decision Time

Session 8: Why Does the Process Fail?

• Key Factors
• The Importance of Transparency
• Key Skills