Emotional support for employees in the workplace is vital and that mediation helps to improve employee well-being. It helps workers to feel valued and supported. In addition, it might improve the colleagues sense of self, helping your organizational culture to run more efficiently.
Organizational psychologists have found that mediation can decrease tension in the office, shift conflict away from employees, and help build a problem-solving approach within the workplace. Mediation typically helps to avoid litigation, which means that issues can be resolved quickly, inexpensively, and to the satisfaction of almost all parties involved.
What is Workplace Mediation?
Workplace mediation is part of a healthy conflict management system and can be implemented in any organizational system. Mediation has been designed with one main objective in mind:
Reduce conflict by providing employees with the opportunity to address issues internally without feeling isolated or ignored.
Giving you these essential benefits:
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Reduce conflict in the workplace.
Here are some strategies often incorporated in workplace mediation include:
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Increasing communication between employees and employers so that everyone in the office can feel seen and heard.
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Managing workload evenly across your employees to help mitigate feelings of overwork and prevent workplace conflicts associated with feelings of burnout.
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Increase engagement and buy-in for improved morale in connection with your company. Employees who feel like they belong where they work and have a shared office culture are more likely to be happy at their place of work.
How Can Mediation Impact Employee Mental Health?
Mediation has a direct impact on employees' health and wellbeing. It decreases the amount of stress that an employee is experiencing at work. Stress in the workplace is directly associated with an increased risk of several health conditions, including:
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Heart attack.
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Stroke.
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Depression Disorder.
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Anxiety Disorders.
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Irritable bowel disease.
According to The United States National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, job stress is “the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Job stress can, in turn, lead to poor health and even injury.”
In 2018, The American Psychological Association found that 64% of adults said work is a significant source of stress. And when the statistics are measured during the pandemic, the value rapidly increases.
These statistics show just how frequent stress in the workplace is. Mediation is one thing that employers can easily do to help employees combat the build-up of office pressures, especially those that develop as a result of interpersonal conflict and other issues that can be resolved through enhanced communication.
Mediation supports a healthy work culture in the following ways:
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Improving mental health support.
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Providing clear communication among leadership and encouraging clear expectations.
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Encouraging civility and respect among colleagues.
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Building growth and development of in-office culture.
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Supporting involvement and influence in the workplace.
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Helping with workload management.
When work stress continues to rise and becomes overwhelming, it can be hard to manage. Being unhappy at work can lead to a substance use disorder or develop a mental health disorder, creating the bomb of a bad organizational and work environment. For those who work remotely, the risk is just as high, as feelings of isolation can be intense for those who are not able to connect with co-workers in an office setting and instead are left to email and telecommunication only. Introducing mediation support for your remote employees can help to improve engagement and the work environment.
If your workplace is already a dead end because of stress, mediation can be your way out.
ENDNOTES
Stress in America Press Room (apa.org)
ResearchGate.net. -The Art of Workplace Mediation: From Conflict to Engagement
Mediate.com -The Benefits of Using Mediation when Involved in Workplace Disputes
Wakelymediation.com- Mediation Supports Employee Mental Health
CorporateWellnessMagazine.com - Workplace Stress: A Silent Killer of Employee Health and Productivity
Nsc.org - Take Your Training to the Next Level
Lincolnrecovery.com - Dual Diagnosis Rehab: Addiction and Mental Health
Healthline.com - Work Depression: How to Take Care of Your Mental Health on the Job