Below are some frequently asked questions. Please contact us should you have any other questions.
Procedural costs are generally a multiple of the cost of mediation.
The mediator does not provide (employment law) advice.
If it is wise to seek specialist advice, the mediator will give the parties the opportunity to seek external advice during the mediation.
On average, 4 to 6 conversations are needed to resolve a conflict. Sometimes, after a successful first meeting, fewer meetings are needed as the conflict has already been de-escalated. In labor cases that Remediate Mediation does, it is common for parties to reach an agreement after only 3 interviews. For more complex cases, the number of meetings may be higher.
A mediation session lasts on average 2 to 2.5 hours (interim break included). The parties can, of course, agree together on a maximum duration for the meetings. In the case of mediation, it is ultimately up to the parties to decide together how they want to shape the process. The mediator merely makes a proposal.
The basic principle in mediation is that everything that comes to the table as part of the mediation is confidential, unless the parties agree otherwise. So, in short, parties may not use this information at a later date, unless the information was known before the mediation or became known after the mediation independent of the mediation.
The parties decide together where the mediation will take place. This may be in a quiet meeting room at the workplace or at a neutral location elsewhere. If parties live far apart from one another, they sometimes meet at a place between their residences. The latter, of course, to avoid one of the parties having to travel far.
Mediation usually takes place physically, but can also take place on-line. Generally, the latter is not preferred by Remediate Mediation, as certain things tend to go unnoticed during an on-line meeting. In particular, non-verbal communication (the things you do not say explicitly, but do convey through facial expression, intonation and body language) is not easily visible during an on-line meeting. Since these aspects do matter in the context of conflict resolution, a live meeting is preferable. Of course, if this is not possible due to circumstances, an on-line session can be arranged.
Prior to the mediation, the mediator agrees with the parties on the hourly rate, additional costs and how the costs will be borne by the parties. In employment matters, often the employer bears the costs.
The mediator charges an hourly rate. The hourly rate includes, among other things, the supervision of the mediation meetings and – if so desired by the parties – the drafting of reports of the joint meetings.
In addition, other (in)direct costs of the mediation – plus turnover tax due by law – will be charged (e.g. space rental and travel expenses, fees and costs of any third parties involved in the mediation at the request of the parties).
