Toxic Environments Take Time to Heal
I received a referral for mediation from an engineering company.
A recently recruited senior engineer said that he was discriminated against by the junior engineer and his line manager because of his national origin as they set him up to fail in his duties and made him feel that he was an outsider. He feared that if this continued, he would have to resign.
Grievance and Investigation Without Resolution
The employer investigated the grievances thoroughly. The junior engineer denied that he discriminated against the senior engineer and was in fact insulted by this suggestion. The line manager said that he noticed tension between the employees and spoke with them both separately, but to no avail. He said that he had done his best and that there was nothing else that he could do. The line manager denied that he had discriminated against the newly recruit senior engineer. The employer followed the ACAS process and indeed investigated the allegations and met with all concerned explaining the company’s policy on discrimination.
The investigation, the grievance and the disciplinary did not lead to any solution as the environment remained toxic with no solution in sight.
Indeed, toxic environment requires healing and healing requires honest conversations and self-reflection otherwise bad feelings lingers on and finds outlets in the most inappropriate times and places.
Creating a Safe Space for Mediation
I started the mediation with an open session with all the parties.
My aim was to make them feel safe so that they can disclose their feelings, and we can have an honest conversation about the toxic environment. I chose to start the mediation by talking about the weather, recent holidays and places in the world they would like to visit and why. We shared funny experiences and the environment in the room became familiar and safe. I then asked them to tell me about their work, what each of them do and how their duties overlap and why they chose to work for this company. It became apparent that they all loved their jobs and loved working for the company.
Private Sessions: Understanding Different Perspectives
We then had our individual meetings when I asked each of them what they thought was going on and what was the root cause for the tension amongst them.
The Line Manager’s Perspective
The line manager said that, honestly, he did not know what to do and how to deal with the situation in the office. He said that he was reluctant to ask for help, as he himself had received his last warning and he was worried that if he asked for assistance, he would lose his job. He said that he was so tense that he was considering resigning.
The Junior Engineer’s Perspective
The junior engineer said that the senior engineer had badly hurt his feelings on many occasions. He had tried several times to help him by telling him how to operate the company’s machines, but he always made him feel as if his help was not needed, and that he already knows everything and knows better than him. He felt that the help he offered to the senior engineer was thrown back in his face so much so that he decided not to speak to him again, and only if he absolutely needed to. He commented that he did not cause the toxic environment - he was just defending himself as his kindness was met with rudeness. He said that he is not a racist. I asked if he thinks the senior engineer was confident about coping with his new job? He said it was a possibility that the senior engineer rejected his help because he was not feeling confident in his role.
I asked him if he will be willing to share this information in an open session? I reassured him that everything we shared in the private session remains confidential. He said that he would.
The Senior Engineer’s Perspective
I then spoke with the senior engineer. He said that he felt harassed and that every time he asked for help from the junior engineer he refused, or he made him feel inadequate and this is probably because of his national origin. I asked him if it was like that right from the beginning? He said no, at the beginning the line manager and the junior engineer were very nice and helpful to him but suddenly they changed their behaviour.
I asked him how he received the help he was offered from the junior engineer at the beginning of his employment. He said that he might have been dismissive towards the help offered by the junior engineer. He felt that he should have known how to operate the machinery and was embarrassed that he needed help from a junior engineer.
I reassured him that everything said in our private session will remain confidential. I asked if he will be willing to share his feelings in the open session. He said that he would otherwise there is no point for him staying in his job and that he intends to look for a new role.
Open Discussion: Rebuilding Trust
We then had an open session; I asked who would like to start the session? The line manager said that he would like to start. I asked them to speak directly to each other and not to me. I remained silent while they were talking to each other.
The line manager said that he apologises that he did not put more time and effort into solving the issues in the department. He said in all honesty he did not put in more effort as he did not know what to do and felt embarrassed that as a line manager, he did not know how to approach this. He felt that he should have known how to deal with this matter without assistance and that he would seek more help in the future.
The new senior engineer said that he would like to go next. He said that he would like to ask them both what they thought about him professionally, was he a good engineer? The line manager said that he has full confidence in his ability as a senior engineer and that he needs to relax. The junior engineer said that he thought he was a good engineer, but he needs to learn more about the way they were working and how the company’s machines work and that he should welcome help.
The senior engineer apologised for rejecting the help offered. He said that he felt rejected and unappreciated. He said that he will welcome more help in the future now that he knows he was appreciated as an engineer.
I asked if anyone wants to say anything more? The junior engineer and the line manager apologised to the new senior engineer and reassured him that their behaviour was not because of his national origin at all.
A Positive Outcome: Long-Term Resolution
We closed the session by going back and talking about the weather, recent holiday etc... it really felt like the strain, stress and toxic environment that was there had been lifted.
We, at Wright Hassall, like to check in with our client’s following mediation. We are delighted to learn that six months after the mediation the relationship has grown stronger and that the toxic environment is something of the past, something to put aside and move on from.
The Power of Mediation in Workplace Conflict
If you are considering grievances, disciplinary or how to deal with toxic environment in the work place, email Mali Smith, Legal Director, on mali.smith@wrighthassall.co.uk, for a free consultation on the benefits of mediation as an alternative dispute resolution.
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The information published across our Knowledge Base is correct at the time of going to press.
