You had no idea when you took your job that it would turn into a nightmare. The sexual harassment may have started small, which made you wonder whether you were imagining it. However, over time, it became progressively worse, and there was no doubt in your mind that your supervisor or coworker’s behavior was inappropriate.
You mustered up the courage to report the harassment to the appropriate person within the company, but your pleas for help went unheeded. Now, you face going through public ordeal in order to obtain some justice, and you aren’t too keen on doing so. Perhaps there is another way to resolve the issue without going to court.
Mediation could provide an alternative
You shouldn’t have to abandon your pursuit of justice due to the fear of a public forum. Mediation could provide you with an alternative. Once you understand the primary benefits of this alternative dispute resolution method, you may find yourself more willing to defend your rights. Listed below are the major benefits of this alternative to court:
- Perhaps, in your position, mediation provides you a private forum in which to air your grievances and reach a resolution to your claim.
- Any agreement you and your employer reach remains confidential.
- Mediation puts you on a more even playing field with your employer since this neutral process allows each side the chance to speak, and the parties decide what the settlement will contain.
- Any settlement you reach is voluntary and can resolve more than just the legal issues you face.
- The mediation process encourages you and your employer to cooperate and compromise in order to reach a resolution.
- The neutral setting encourages both sides to actually communicate instead of keeping to their respective sides as would probably happen in the adversarial courtroom process.
- Mediation often helps the parties figure out what the real and underlying issues are as they pertain to your claims.
- Mediation usually costs less in time and money, which often helps encourage the parties to participate in the process in the first place.
Even though mediation may sound like the answer to your predicament, it does have a drawback of which you need to be aware. The mediator does not represent either party. You may still want to work with a Florida attorney experienced in employment law in order to make sure that your rights and interests remain protected throughout the process.
