Informal Conflict Resolution Procedures for Faculty, P&A, Civil Service, and Student Employee Workplace Conflicts (Informal Services)

The Office for Conflict Resolution (OCR) provides informal services to address a broad range of workplace conflicts. Informal conflict resolution services include, but are not limited to, confidential consultation, problem solving, facilitated discussion, mediation, and educational and training opportunities.

There are no fixed time limits for pursuing informal services, although OCR staff may, at their discretion, decline to provide informal services with respect to conflicts that are so stale that informal services would be futile, that have been previously addressed by the OCR or other offices, or that the OCR determines are otherwise not appropriately addressed by its informal services.

Information provided during OCR’s provision of informal services will be kept confidential, except in rare circumstances where OCR staff perceive a threat of imminent danger of serious harm or the information is required to be disclosed by law. OCR may also need to disclose information provided during OCR’s provision of informal services should external legal action commence against the University related to a matter that is the subject of the OCR case. 

An employee’s provision of information about wrongful conduct to the OCR does not constitute notice to the University and will not trigger University responsive action other than the OCR’s informal services. 

OCR staff are advocates for a fair and equitable process that allows the positions and interests of all parties to be heard in the interest of addressing the underlying conflict. OCR staff are not advocates for, or representatives of, any particular employee. 

Employees covered by Administrative Policy: Conflict Resolution for Faculty, P&A, Civil Service, and Student Employees are encouraged to contact the OCR with employment-related conflicts as soon as they emerge or when local efforts to resolve them are not productive. The process for obtaining informal services provided by the OCR is generally as follows:

1. An eligible employee submits an intake questionnaire and then schedules a consultation with OCR. During the initial meeting, the employee and an OCR staff member discuss the workplace conflict, explore University policies and resources, identify options, and otherwise engage in discussions to assist the employee’s decision making. Several additional consultations may follow.
2. The OCR takes steps as appropriate to resolve the conflict. At the request of the employee, OCR staff may contact others involved to exchange information, to promote understanding, and to identify resolution options. In appropriate circumstances, OCR staff may facilitate discussions among the involved individuals or mediate using a more structured format.
3. In appropriate circumstances, OCR may ask an employee’s supervisor or manager to participate in a facilitated dialogue with the employee or in another informal conflict resolution process. In such circumstances, the supervisor or manager must participate in the informal process as part of their supervisory or managerial role. If the employee identifies a dispute with a co-worker who is not a supervisor or manager, the coworker is encouraged to participate in the informal process, but is not required to do so.
4. If informal services do not resolve the workplace conflict, OCR may be able to refer the parties to other University resources. In addition, an eligible employee who has an eligible employment-related grievance may submit a petition to initiate the formal petition process as set forth in Administrative Procedure: Procedures for the Formal Resolution of Employment-Related Grievances (Formal Petition Process). Prior to submitting a petition, the employee must participate in a facilitated dialogue to attempt to resolve the workplace conflict, except in rare circumstances where OCR staff determine that a facilitated dialogue is not appropriate.

In addition, OCR may, at its discretion, provide informal services such as confidential consultation, problem-solving, facilitated discussion, mediation, and educational and training opportunities to volunteers, trainees, and other non-labor represented individuals working at the University who are not covered by the scope of Administrative Policy on Conflict Resolution for Faculty, P&A, Civil Service, and Student Employees. However, in these cases, the supervisor or manager of the volunteer, trainee, or other non-labor represented individual working at the University is encouraged to participate in informal conflict resolution processes at the request of OCR, but is not required to do so.