Employment disputes are some of the most contentious and aggressively litigated cases in federal and state courts. The employee is adamant that the employer treated him or her unjustly and violated the law, and the employer reasonably believes that it acted fairly and the employee’s claim is without merit. Based on the disruption and negative impact this type of aggressive and protracted litigation can have on the lives and businesses of those involved, mediation is a smart and worthwhile alternative.

Employment mediation is based on the principle of self-determination by the parties. This means that unlike in litigation where a trier of fact (judge or jury) will decide the winner and loser at some distant point in the future, the parties are in control of the outcome in mediation. Some benefits of employment mediation include the opportunity to:

•Avoid the significant expense and delay of litigation;
•Keep the dispute and the parties’ settlement confidential;
•Allow the parties to vent and feel they “got their day in court;” and
•Engage in creative problem solving and adopt solutions that a judge or jury could not, or would not, adopt.

An employment mediator’s job is to do everything in her power to help the parties reach an outcome that they can live with so that they can put the dispute behind them and move on with their lives. A good mediator will do this by having good listening and creative problem-solving skills in addition to a keen grasp of the employment law issues in dispute.

Lizbeth West

Based on her many years of experience as an employment litigator and her specialized training and certification from Cornell University’s ILR School in employment mediation, Lizbeth (“Beth”) West has the skills and expertise to provide trusted and effective mediation services exclusively in the area of employment disputes. Ms. West assists parties in resolving virtually every type of employment claim, including but not limited to: harassment, discrimination, and retaliation claims; wrongful termination claims; failure to accommodate and statutory leave violations; whistleblowing claims; wage and hour violations; invasion of privacy claims; and other statutory, tort and contract claims.

For more information about Ms. West’s mediation services, please contact her at 916/558-6082 or [email protected], or her assistant, Janet Giebel, at 916/558-6062 or [email protected]. You can also access Ms. West’s bio at www.weintraub.com. To view Ms. West’s rate sheet for mediation services, please click here.