Small Business Mediation
Are you, as a small business, experiencing issues between people in your organisation?
Perhaps you are experiencing personality clashes, bullying/discrimination/harassment claims, grievances or return to work disputes.
Small Business Mediation provides an informal and satisfactory method of resolving these disputes with staff or between business partners without having to resort to disciplinary/grievance/dismissal procedures or ending up with a case at the employment tribunal or small claims court.
Mosaic Mediation can help. Mediation is cheaper and quicker than going through legal processes - resulting in longer-term benefits, protecting professional relationships from irreparable damage, and it can positively influence the workplace culture. And, it may be that we have an alternative service or suggestion to mediation, which would also offer a satisfying resolution.
For small businesses with less than 5 staff members, we offer 'mediation by the hour' to make conflict resolution as accessible as possible.
(For larger businesses or more complex employment or workplace disputes, there is more information on the
'Workplace Mediation' page.)
Benefits of Using Small Business Mediation
- Demonstrates care for your business relationships
- Tackles the core issues - not just surface-level behaviours or problems
- Quicker process than tribunal or court proceedings
- Less stress and cost - especially if you choose an hourly fee rate
- Often results in improved professional relationships and a more positive working environment
About Small Business Mediation
Resolve disputes in your business
What you should expect
When the mediator has sufficient information on the situation, they will be able to advise on expected length of the mediation session.
Mediation fees are split equally between parties, unless paid for by the organisation. Mediations can be held online, by telephone or in-person.
Price = £175 per hour for a Small Business mediation (minimum 2 hours recommended, plus individual pre-mediation calls).
What will you receive from Mosaic Mediation?
- An explanation of the mediation process
- Calls (before and after the mediation) to each individual involved and to facilitate the day of mediation.
- Treating everything said throughout the process with complete confidentiality and impartiality at all times
- If a mediation agreement is created at the end of the session, parties can later choose to get it drafted into a legal document by a solicitor, if appropriate.
- The mediation can be facilitated online or in-person. The calls before and after can be done over the telephone or a video call.
What is the process for a Small Business Mediation?
Enquiry
The small business representative makes an enquiry via the Contact page or books a no-obligation consultation call.
The mediator will discuss the situation with them and propose next steps, and suggested duration for the joint mediation session.
If individuals would benefit from speaking with the mediator before confirming their agreement to mediate, that is encouraged.
Some mediation processes benefit from additional conflict coaching or DISC profiling. This is done before the mediation session.
Preparation for Mediation
Following confirmation from the organisation about the willingness of the parties and terms are signed, the mediator will contact the parties.
The mediator will arrange pre-mediation calls with each individual. This provides the opportunity for parties to learn about the process, disclose their perspective, and begin preparing for the joint mediation session.
The mediation is booked for a mutually agreed date and time, either in-person or online.
Joint Mediation Session
Following pre-mediation conversations, the mediator will determine how to facilitate a productive conversation and ensure all parties feel comfortable.
The mediator uses conflict resolution skills to encourage parties to understand alternative perspectives, listen to the other individuals and explore solutions.
In the vast majority of cases, parties are able to come to an agreement and this is formalised in writing. 
After the Mediation
The mediator sends the parties the Mediation Agreement document and provides the pre-agreed summary to the organisation, advising on next steps.
Four to six weeks later, the mediator has a follow-up call with the organisation and each party to check on the progress and any developments.
If required, the mediator will advise as to whether any other services (such as coaching or training) would be beneficial.
Common Questions about Small Business Workplace Mediation
What are some benefits to using mediation?
Button- Effective conflict resolution helps employees feel supported and heard
- Facilitating confidential and 'without prejudice' conversations between colleagues helps them to problem-solve and take accountability
- Mediation ensures that the real issues are discovered and discussed without affecting any legal or employment rights
- Mediation can take place quickly and it may only take one day to resolve the issues - which saves the business a huge amount of time dealing with the conflict
- Workplace mediation is often more effective, less stressful and costs much less than legal proceedings
What happens if one person does not agree to mediation?
ButtonWorkplace mediation is a voluntary process.
Conflict coaching is a great way to manage conflict and support individually when one party does not agree to mediate.
The conflict coach will help the party who is open to mediate to talk through the issues and feel empowered to manage the conflict.
What are potential consequences of not resolving disputes effectively?
ButtonYou may find that issues continue to grow between individuals - leading to frustration, making errors, communication breakdown, and damage to the company's reputation.
The situation may only be partially resolved - therefore, some issues remain and continue to have a negative impact on the workplace and interactions.
The unresolved issues and communication difficulties could negatively affect the rest of the team and the culture of the organisation.
Unresolved or partially-resolved issues potentially result in: dismissal, an individual resigning, a case being brought to the employment tribunal.
And, of course, there is a great likelihood for further breakdown in professional relationships.
Why use Mosaic Mediation?
ButtonOur lead mediator and founder, Emma Jenkings, is passionate about the individuals and the organisation thoroughly resolving issues and finding peace.
We aim to help individuals work towards a positive outcome that provides greater understanding and a long-term solution. Emma is an experienced, accredited workplace and employment mediator, registered with the Civil Mediation Council. Find out more about Mosaic Mediation.
Does the mediator influence the decision or make a judgement?
ButtonNo. A workplace mediator is neutral, does not offer legal advice and will not make suggestions.
A mediation agreement is drawn up with the support of the mediator, but everything contained in the document is suggested and mutually agreed to by the parties.
Who pays for a workplace mediation?
ButtonTypically the organisation pays for the mediation process. However, if preferred, small business leaders may choose to split the fee equally between them.
How long does a small business workplace mediation process take?
ButtonThe workplace mediation process usually takes a working day, however, if you would prefer to fund a few hours of mediation, our hourly rate makes that simple to do.
The mediator will also arrange video/telephone calls with each participant before the joint session.
The mediator will be able to give you an estimation of the time when you enquire.
It may take additional time, depending on the complexity of the issues or the number of people taking part in the process. Any change will be discussed with the organisation before progressing.
How many people can you have in a Mediation?
ButtonAside from the mediator, the main individuals involved in a dispute should be present at the mediation. Usually, workplace mediation is either ‘2-party’ or ‘multi-party’ – the latter may involve a team dispute, or the issues involved may affect several individuals.
Each party may bring someone to support or represent them (including a legal or union representative) if all other parties agree to them being present.
Some mediations may include an assistant mediator as part of our mentoring initiative.
What other tools can be used in Mediation?
ButtonMosaic Mediation also provides the option of conflict coaching or DISC profiles as beneficial additional options within the mediation process, when appropriate.
Neutral Evaluation incorporates individual confidential calls with every person relevant to the situation. A report with a summary of the core issues and recommendations for the next steps to resolve them is then presented to the organisation.
