Berkeley Lab Conflict Resolution Services Program

The Chief HR Officer acts as champion and ambassador of the Program.

Employees have responsibility to maintain productive interpersonal relationships with one another and to resolve conflicts using the resources provided by this Program.

The full text of the Conflict Resolution Services Program is available here.

The Program Options

The Program Options articulate pathways to prevent, manage and resolve any conflict.

Option 1: Direct Communication and Collaboration

The preferred method for dealing with conflict is direct communication and collaboration.

All employees are expected to maintain productive interpersonal relationships and competently address and resolve any conflicts or disputes through direct communication so they can collaborate with one another in pursuit of Laboratory goals and objectives as set by supervisors and managers.

Option Two: Open Door and Facilitated Conversation

Where direct communication is not suitable, whether because the supervisor is not available or not the desired contact, employees may access successively higher levels of the management chain or Human Resources at any time.

When management or Human Resources are contacted about a problem or issue, they shall guard against toxic triangulation and instead restore direct communication between the employees by offering to facilitate a conversation to support the mutual resolution of their conflict.

When facilitating a conversation as contemplated by this Program, the HR member or manager will focus on improving communication, identifying needs, and building creative solutions that work for everyone.

The facilitator will refrain from solving the problem for the participants or being an advocate for either participant.

When a conversation is facilitated through the exercise of this option, the HR member or manager will complete and submit to the Program a non-identifying form, recording the date of the meeting, the relevant division and work location, the issues addressed and whether an agreement was reached. This information will be used for trend analysis and metrics concerning the utility of the Program.

Option Three: Mediation and other Conciliatory Support

At any time, but especially after making efforts to communicate directly and to collaborate, any Laboratory employee may approach the Program for support.

Based on a short assessment of the situation the Program will offer one or a combination of the following services:

• Mediation
• Facilitated Conversation
• Conflict Coaching
• Referral
• Looking Into

For the full text of the Conflict Resolution Services Program, click here.