Mediation & conflict resolution
Workplace mediation that gets the team working again.
An unresolved conflict absorbs attention, drags performance down and eventually costs you good people. clever hr steps in as an impartial third party and works through conflicts inside a team or between managers and employees until people can work together again. We work with Swiss SMEs that have 20 to 100 employees where a conflict has taken hold and someone independent is needed to settle it. Price on request: we charge for the time involved or agree a package price, and you receive a fixed-fee offer before the first conversation.
Scope
Scope.
A briefing with your management: we agree the goal, the participants, the roles and the boundaries, and confirm them in writing
One-to-one conversations in which every person involved sets out their view without an audience
Sessions chaired by an impartial professional from outside your organisation, with agreed rules on speaking time, tone and conduct
A written record of the commitments: who does what by when, in plain language people can use day to day
A review after four to six weeks to check that the commitments are holding
Individual sessions for the manager, so they can lead the next difficult conversation themselves
How it works
What to expect.
- Brief: you describe the situation. We check whether mediation is the right route and agree the goal, the participants and the boundaries with you
- Preliminary conversations: we listen to each person separately and in confidence, and gather the topics for the joint session
- Resolution sessions: we chair the meetings, hold everyone to the agreed rules and put the contested points on the table
- Agreement: the participants settle on binding commitments. We put them in writing and everyone signs them off
- Follow-up: a few weeks later we check with you whether the commitments are holding, and adjust them where needed
Your fee or offer
Price on request
By effort or as a package. You receive a fixed-fee offer up front.
All fees exclude VAT.
Talk to us about thisWho it is for: For companies where a conflict is straining the team and a neutral, external perspective will help.
Outcome
What changes for you.
Everyone involved has been heard, and there is a written agreement that everyday work can be measured against. Your managers know which commitments apply and how to tell whether they are holding. The team is back at work, and you keep the people you want to keep.
Frequently asked questions
Mediation & conflict resolution in brief.
What does mediation with clever hr cost?
Price on request. We charge for the time involved or agree a package price, and you receive a fixed-fee offer before the first conversation. The scope depends on how many people are involved and how long the conflict has been running. You know the cost before anyone sits down.
Does Swiss law require mediation, and how does it fit with the courts?
Nothing in Swiss law obliges anyone to mediate. Everyone involved takes part by choice. Swiss law does set a duty of care: under Article 328 of the Swiss Code of Obligations, the law that governs employment contracts, employers have to protect the personal integrity and health of their staff, which includes acting once a conflict starts to harm people. The formal route runs through the cantonal conciliation authority, the Schlichtungsbehörde, which as a rule hears an employment claim before it can reach a court, with the exceptions the Civil Procedure Code provides for. Either side can also end the contract by giving the required notice, so settling things early preserves a working relationship that both sides still benefit from.
How confidential is the process?
What comes up in the one-to-one conversations stays with us. Nothing reaches the joint session unless the person concerned chooses to raise it there. Your management sees the outcome and the commitments people have made, and the conversations themselves stay between us and the people who took part. We agree the confidentiality rules in writing at the start, so everyone knows what leaves the room.
What happens if the conflict is not settled in the sessions?
Mediation depends on everyone taking part voluntarily. If an agreement stays out of reach, we say so openly and explain the options Swiss employment law gives you. We can then work with your managers on handling the situation day to day, including the conversations they will need to lead themselves.
Further reading
30 minutes on your HR.
Book an intro callNo obligation, with the scope and price agreed before work starts.