Conflict is a part of life and is a normal aspect of any relationship. The workplace is no exception. Unresolved conflict in the workplace can affect performance, breed discord, increase the risk of mental health issues, lead to workplace bullying, put staff’s safety at risk and be highly disruptive to the workplace.

If ongoing conflict is ignored, it can damage morale, reduce productivity and lead to increased costs and legal issues for your organisation.

Why Choose Maitland Mediation?

Maitland Mediation is located in the Maitland CBD. Nichole Orr is your local mediator who is dedicated to providing people in conflict with alternate options.

Nichole launched Maitland Mediation in 2024 wanting to offer mediation in regional areas.

You will find Nichole warm, knowledgeable and future focused. As a mediator, you will not find a more qualified professional in managing conflict in the workplace. Having a degree in law and an accredited mediator means you are in safe hands.

Workplace Mediation

Mediation is a voluntary, confidential discussion with the relevant people about issues in dispute, managed by an accredited mediator.  Mediation provides parties an opportunity to be heard, and to hear what each other has to say. Effective workplace mediation will move employees away from ongoing conflict and encourage them instead to engage in calm dialogue and work towards generating solutions.

Bringing in an external, impartial mediator can help you:

  • Assist parties in changing ongoing conflict
  • Reduce the likelihood that employees will make external or legal complaints
  • Assist your employees to be responsible for their own behaviour and their working relationships
  • Improve team effectiveness, morale and productivity, and encourage mutual respect
  • Demonstrate to employees and stakeholders that concerns are taken seriously.
two women sitting at a table with laptops

The Benefits of Workplace Mediation

Workplace mediation is a very practical and effective tool to allow your employees to resolve workplace conflict and build positive working relationships.

Mediation is:

  • Confidential – Mediation is confidential. This allows parties to be free to negotiate.
  • Cost effective – Mediation is cost effective and considerably cheaper than attending court proceedings.

  • Non-adversarial – Mediation is about working together not against each other to find the bet possible outcome.

  • Future Focused – Mediation encourages parties to look to the future by not getting stuck in the past.
  • Decision making is in your hands – Mediation allows parties to make decisions.
  • Faster than court – Mediation assists parties in making decisions on your timetable.

FAQ

Things you need to know

Mediation is Confidential

Prior to mediation the parties sign a confidentiality agreement. This allows parties to speak openly and honestly. Only the parties participating in the mediation are privy to what is discussed in mediation (unless agreed to by the parties to disclose).

It’s a Goodwill Agreement

Any agreement reached in mediation is essentially a ‘goodwill’ agreement. This means any agreement reached is not ‘legally’ binding.

Impartial

Mediators are impartial, Nichole does not take sides. A mediator’s role is to facilitate an agreement to move forward.

Mediation is Voluntary

You cannot force a person to participate in mediation, nor can you force a person to stay in a mediation.

Every effort is made to have the parties feel safe to ensure proper engagement

Mediators do not give Legal Advice

It is not appropriate for mediators to give legal advice.

Not about Blaming

The nature of mediation is to provide parties with a forum to resolve disputes. Placing blame on a particular party is counterproductive to resolving a dispute and to encourage parties to be ‘future focused’.

Whilst we understand there is a history between the parties, which is covered in the individual assessment once the mediation commences focus of the mediation shifts from the past to future focused.

How to get started:

  1. Contact Maitland Mediation
  2. We will send you an offer
  3. You accept our offer
  4. We schedule a safety assessment with the parties
  5. We Mediate

We generate positive results for our clients

When conflicts arose in our workplace, Nichole provided a calm and objective perspective that allowed for open communication. Her expertise helped us navigate complex issues, fostering understanding among team members. Nichole’s dedication to finding common ground and facilitating constructive dialogue resulted in a resolution that not only addressed our concerns but also improved overall workplace harmony. I highly recommend Nichole for her invaluable contributions to resolving our workplace disputes.

In the midst of a challenging workplace dispute, Nichole’s expertise and mediation skills were instrumental in helping us find a positive resolution. Her deep understanding of employment law, coupled with a compassionate and unbiased approach, created a conducive environment for dialogue. Nichole facilitated discussions that allowed all parties to express their concerns openly, and she guided us toward practical solutions. Thanks to Nichole’s efforts, we were able to address the root causes of the conflict and implement changes that improved our working relationships. I am grateful for her assistance.

Nichole played a crucial role in mediating a workplace dispute within our organisation. Her experience and effective mediation techniques set the stage for a successful resolution. Nichole’s ability to remain impartial and create a safe space for open communication allowed our team to address underlying issues constructively. Through her guidance, we were able to establish clear communication channels, implement conflict resolution strategies, and foster a more positive work environment for our employees.