Virginia Department of Human Resource Management

Employment Dispute Resolution

Workplace Conflict Consultation Program

The Workplace Conflict Consultation Program is a neutral, independent, informal, and confidential resource that facilitates fair, equitable, and expeditious resolutions to workplace conflicts and concerns raised by Virginia state employees and agency management. The Workplace Conflict Consultation Program's primary function is to work with individuals in an organization to explore and assist them in determining options to help resolve conflicts, problematic issues, or concerns on their own. By addressing concerns earlier, the outcome will create a work environment of greater satisfaction for all employees and foster more open and effective communication between employees and state agencies.

The Workplace Conflict Consultation Program includes six proactive and early intervention approaches:

  1. Conflict Management Coaching
    • Designed to help an employee better understand their individual conflict behavior in order to promote more effective workplace conflict resolution.
    • Improves awareness about what triggers conflict within and how to respond to workplace conflict constructively.
    • Utilizes either the individual or the 360 Conflict Dynamic Profile (CDP) assessment to identify employee's most problematic areas.
    • Conflict Coach helps the employee create a personal action plan which outlines goals and sets target dates.

  2. Emotional Intelligence Coaching
    • Designed to help an employee learn how to better understand their own level of emotional intelligence, discover how others may perceive that employee's emotional intelligence in the workplace, and learn where the employee's development opportunities exist and how to improve within those areas.
    • Utilizes either the individual EQ-i 2.0 or the EQ360 emotional intelligence quotient assessment tool to identify the employee's current level of emotional intelligence within 15 subscales that build one's overall emotional intelligence.
    • Coach helps the employee create a personal action plan which outlines goals and sets target dates.
    • Emotional intelligence coaching is available either for professional development or remedial performance management needs.

  3. Conflict Management Skill Building Webinars
    • Nonverbal Communication Skills
    • Inter-Generational Conflict in the Workplace
    • Value-Based Conflict in the Workplace
    • Handling Workplace Conflict Effectively
    • All classes are offered virtually at this time.

  4. One-On-One Phone Consultations
    • One-hour confidential phone consultation regarding any type of workplace conflict concern.
    • Ideal for an interpersonal, organizational, evaluative and/or peer relationship workplace conflict.
    • To schedule a consultation, please contact the EDR AdviceLine at 1(888)232-3842.

  5. Group Consultations
    • If you have a small team who is experiencing conflict, contact EDR to schedule a confidential two-hour group consultation with the participants.
    • EDR will provide a professional recommendation report to management about how best to proceed with the particular workplace conflict before the agency invests too much internal time, resources, or money on the particular situation.

  6. Statewide Workplace Mediation Program
    • Free virtual mediation for two, three, or four-party workplace disputes.
    • Mediations conducted by a trained and Virginia Supreme Court certified mediator.
    • 97% overall mediation service success rate in the 2021 fiscal year.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I request conflict coaching?

To request conflict coaching, employees and/or agency management may submit a Conflict Coaching Consultation Request Form to EDR. The Director of Workplace Conflict will then contact the employee and the agency to setup an initial conflict coaching consultation. Further instruction about the CDP assessments and follow up coaching sessions will be provided during the initial consultation.

How can I request conflict management skill building training?

To request conflict management skill building training, employees and agency management may initially call 1(888)232-3842 and press option 4 to speak with EDR's Training Coordinator or email a request to edr@dhrm.virginia.gov.

How can I request mediation?

If you are interested in mediation, employees and agency management may initially contact their agency mediation coordinator. Additional mediation program inquiries may be addressed by calling 1(888)232-3842, Option 5, or by emailing inquiries to edr@dhrm.virginia.gov.

When should I seek a one-on-one phone consultation?

A one-hour phone consultation may be appropriate in any of the following situations:

  • You don’t know where to go for help.
  • You want to know what options are available to you.
  • You feel that your state agency is not responding to your workplace concerns.
  • You have interpersonal concerns with your supervisor and/or a co-worker and you don’t know where to turn to next.
  • You want someone to help you mediate a problem.
  • You have a concern and you want to talk privately with someone who will listen to you.
How can I request a one-on-one phone consultation?

To schedule a consultation, employees and agency management will initially contact the EDR AdviceLine at 1(888)232-3842 and press option 2 to speak with an AdviceLine Consultant. The AdviceLine Consultant will then determine whether the workplace concerns can be immediately addressed through a brief AdviceLine consultation or whether it is appropriate for a one-hour workplace conflict consultation.

What does the staff of the Workplace Conflict Consultation Program do?
  • Provides a neutral and safe environment to talk
  • Listens to concerns and complaints
  • Ensures confidentiality by keeping conversations private and in strict confidence unless there is an imminent threat of serious harm to the employee, agency manager, or to others
  • Maintains impartiality and neutrality by listening and not taking sides about a workplace conflict
  • Remains independent and holds no other role that would compromise the Workplace Conflict Consultation Program
  • Provides informal resources, explores options, coaches, and helps employees or agency managers determine what path is best to move forward
  • Identifies trends in workplace conflicts and raises these concerns with the Director of DHRM.
  • Trains employees and agency management about workplace conflict management and skills.
What does the Workplace Conflict Consultation Program staff not do?
  • Represent a party in a dispute, serve as a liaison between the employee and agency management, or participate in formal processes, including lawsuits or grievances.
  • Conduct formal investigations.
  • Offer legal advice.
  • Share confidential facts or disclose identities without permission.
  • Testify in any formal or adjudicative process.
  • Make management decisions.
  • Serve as an agent of notice.
  • Offer psychological counseling.
  • Replace or supersede existing channels for grievances, complaints, or appeals.
  • Make decisions, render judgments, or change/overturn agency decisions on issues.
  • Compel or order an employee or agency manager to take a specific action.
  • Serve as a witness in an administrative or legal proceeding unless otherwise compelled by law.
  • Engage in any situation that could create a conflict of interest. The Workplace Conflict Consultation Program Director has the sole discretion and authority to terminate a client engagement at any time if/when a particular situation is deemed inappropriate for this program.
  • Guarantee a resolution.

Feedback Questionnaire

EDR continually strives to ensure that state government employees, managers, and human resource personnel are provided timely, accurate, and useful information regarding use of the grievance procedure, employment rights and responsibilities, as well as available options in resolving workplace conflict. Employees and managers who have a confidential consultation under this program will be asked to complete a  short feedback questionnaire.

Click here to review the Workplace Conflict Consultation Program Guidelines.

Go Back to Top of Page