The Kentucky Employee Mediation Program (KEMP), in the Personnel Cabinet’s Office for Employee Relations, helps employees resolve disputes with their co-workers and their supervisors. The goal of the program is to help employees and supervisors deal with problems in the workplace before they escalate.
KEMP is a voluntary service, and is available to all Executive Branch employees, free of charge. Employees are not required to use leave time to attend the mediation when the employee has obtained prior approval of his/her supervisor. They can usually be scheduled in a week or two and take approximately three hours to complete. Either the employee or the supervisor may request mediation services. Mediation does not replace other avenues of dispute resolution which are available to state employees, such as grievances and Personnel Board appeals.
Mediation is a form of dispute resolution where a neutral mediator facilitates a meeting between parties in conflict, and helps them reach an agreement that is acceptable to both of them. The mediator does not take sides, make decisions, or advocate certain solutions.
Cases to be mediated by KEMP can include disputes between co-workers or between employee and supervisor. Some of the issues mediated are communication problems, personality conflicts, turf issues, ADA issues, FMLA issues, harassment, discrimination, and suspensions.
Before any mediation, the parties need to decide what issues they want to resolve, be prepared to listen respectfully to the other point of view, and have suggestions for working toward a solution that is acceptable to both sides. Since the mediator is a neutral facilitator – not an investigator – it is not necessary to prove anything. It is not the mediator’s role to decide who is right and who is wrong.
For more information or to schedule mediation, call 564-3433 in Frankfort or 866/725-5463 outside Frankfort. Visit the website at http://personnel.ky.gov/programs/kemp/default.htm