If you run a business and you have a conflict with a worker over their employment status, you might feel anxious over what will happen next. You have spent a lot of time and effort building a good reputation for your business. You might fear your customers will turn against you if it seems like you are trying to force out a deserving worker.
The use of mediation provides a possible way to preserve the good reputation of your business. Entrepreneur explains some reasons why mediation may work for businesses like yours.
Many people like mediation
The public perception of lawsuits is often poor. Many view litigation as drawn out, costly and sometimes excessively dramatic affairs. On the other hand, many people see mediation as a good faith effort to arrive at a resolution. Even if you offer mediation as an option and your employee turns it down, your customers may view you positively for making the offer in the first place.
Litigation details can become public
If your lawsuit becomes high profile, the public will likely catch on to it. Jurors involved in the case may talk to the media. The public will also learn the outcome of your case. You might lose, and even if you decide to appeal, your customers will recall that you had suffered a loss in court and may believe you were in the wrong.
By contrast, mediation allows you to keep your dispute out of the public eye. The process of mediating your case and the eventual outcome may remain confidential, reducing the chance of your reputation taking a hit.
Settling may not help your reputation
You might consider just settling the dispute with your employee. With a settlement, you can keep the details of the outcome under wraps and avoid public scrutiny. However, the public perception of settling a lawsuit is not always favorable. Some people might assume that you would not settle unless your employee had the upper hand in the case. You may come off looking better if you try mediating the matter.
