Background

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) requires all federal agencies to offer Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) at all stages of the EEO complaint process. Mediation is the form of ADR that the Department of Transportation has chosen to utilize in EEO cases. Mediation is a problem solving process that uses a neutral third party. The mediator works with the parties to assist them in identifying mutually acceptable solutions and to facilitate communication between the parties. Mediation has proven to be the type of ADR that is most successful in workplace disputes of this nature, and is less time-consuming and less expensive than the more formal EEO complaint process.