Background/Purpose
The Colorado State Employee Mediation Program (SEMP) was established in 1986, and is administerd by Department of Personnel/State Employee Assistance Program (DPA/C-SEAP).

Mediation is a collaborative, non-adversarial opportunity to create better working relationships by discussing issues in dispute, identifying mutual concerns and interests, and negotiating agreements with the help of a trained, neutral facilitator.  Mediators are impartial facilitators who help the parties arrive at mutually acceptable solutions.  Mediators are advocates for successful problem solving, but they do not impose any outcome or advocate for or against any individual.  There is no charge to individuals or agencies for mediation services.  Mediation does not limit any other rights within the State Personnel System.

Program Details
Mediation can be requested by any employee directly involved in a workplace dispute, or by supervisors, managers, or human resources offices concerned with a workplace dispute.

Mediators are current state employees who have received formal mediation training and who volunteer their time to the program.  Mediators provide facilitaion for cases outside their own departments, to avoid conflict of interest. 

Mediation is sometimes a one-session process, and sometimes requires several meetings over a period of a few weeks.  The parties and the mediator will make decisions together regarding the number of sessions needed, as well as scheduling, location, and other logistics.  All mediations are provided at state offices/facilities during standard business hours.

Mediation is voluntary, except in some situations in which a formal grievance has been filed.  If a formal grievance is active and either party requests mediation, both are expected to participate, and the ordinary time-frame of the grievance process is suspended pending the outcome of mediation.
(State Personnel Board Rules, Chapter 8).

Mediators keep confidential all information obtained in a mediation process, and mediators cannot be party to any formal, adversarial process that might occur subsequent to the mediation.

To request mediation, or for more information, contact:

Jon Richard, PsyD
Phone: 303-866-4314 or 800-821-8154
E-mail: Jon.Richard@state.co.us