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GSE | publié par Loyco | 22.01.2026

Corporate mediation: turning conflict into opportunity

Corporate conflict is not a failure: it’s a signal, an opportunity. Rather than fearing it, we can transform it into a lever for innovation and improvement. How can we do this? By investing in its resolution. Our mediator and specialist in corporate health management, Michel Paillard, reminds us here of the best practices in conflict management and the role that mediation can play.

Too often, conflict in the workplace is seen as a failure. In reality, it’s a key moment. Yes, it represents a risk, but it’s also an opportunity for transformation, insofar as it reveals an organizational dysfunction that needs to be resolved. In the world of work, and counter-intuitively, it is preferable to consider conflict as a lever for innovation and collective improvement, rather than to deny it.

The workplace is fertile ground for human interaction, where individual differences can generate tensions and crises. According to a 2024 study, 89% of employees claim to have experienced a conflict that affected them personally. (Swiss study by Neumann, Zanetti & Partner, 2024).

If conflicts remain unresolved, they escalate and tensions crystallize, leading to serious consequences with considerable human and financial costs: loss of productivity, absenteeism, tarnished image, and above all psychosocial risks (absenteeism, disengagement, burnout) that affect the health and well-being of employees.

According to a recent study , conflict is the leading cause of psychologically-related sick leave in Switzerland, accounting for 57% of cases.

Understanding and identifying conflict

Conflict can be intra-psychic (loss of meaning, conflict of values) or interpersonal, all too often originating in faulty internal organization, with the risk of spreading to other teams. First and foremost, it is essential to spot the warning signs and identify the nature and origin of the conflict, so as to act effectively and proportionately. This is a managerial skill that must not be neglected, and that sometimes has to be learned! Knowing the levels of conflict (from initial tension to open confrontation) enables you to adapt and take effective action. Acting quickly and appropriately within the company can often prevent conflict from escalating.

When the risk of neutrality and security for the protagonists cannot be guaranteed within the company itself, it is advisable to involve an external, independent third party.

Mediation: a structured, humanistic framework

Mediation differs from other methods of resolution (justice, conciliation, arbitration) in its participative and autonomous approach. It is based on the principles of confidentiality, neutrality, impartiality and independence. The process includes:

Preparation: clarifying the request and defining the framework with the prescriber (often HR).
Information: Stakeholders are informed of the framework of the mediation process, in particular with regard to the transparency of the process and the strict confidentiality of exchanges during meetings.
Individual interviews: explanation of the process and verification of the parties’ voluntary commitment.
Joint sessions: identifying the problem, expressing needs, finding solutions and formalizing an agreement.

Mediation aims to restore dialogue, reinforce trust and improve the quality of life at work. It can even involve people from outside the conflict for a systemic approach.

A powerful tool, but not always appropriate

Mediation is a powerful tool, but there are certain precautions to be taken in certain situations. It must be used within a secure, voluntary and respectful framework. It is not appropriate when the law is at stake, when the safety or health of individuals is threatened, when emotions are too high and one of the parties is in psychological distress, or when there is a risk of the process being abused for manipulative purposes.

Mediation cannot be imposed or applied systematically. It is up to the professional mediator, inspired by a strict deontological framework and mastering the limits of his or her intervention, who, after analysis, decides whether or not to indicate mediation, in the interests of the individuals and the organization.

Organizational malfunction signal

Conflict in the workplace should not be perceived solely as an interpersonal difficulty, but as a signal of organizational dysfunction that must be accepted and dealt with. Acknowledging conflict means recognizing the need to change practices, processes or internal culture. By investing in resolving the conflict, rather than denying or minimizing it, the organization not only promotes a better quality of life at work, but also improves the quality of the product or Services it wishes to offer. Mediation then becomes a strategic lever for transforming these warning signals into opportunities for collective progress and sustainable performance.

Mediation in the workplace is a strategic and innovative approach: it contributes to the prevention of psychosocial risks. Entering into mediation is already initiating change and improving the quality of workplace relations.

Key figures

89% of employees say they have already experienced a conflict that affected them personally.
20% of women and 11% of men take time off work to avoid conflict.
More than 10% of working time is taken up by conflicts.
The cost of an unresolved workplace conflict is in excess of CHF 50,000.
2/3 of companies have no formal framework for managing conflict. Only 23.9% have a defined procedure.
Conflicts are the leading cause of psychologically-related sick leave in Switzerland: 57% of cases.

Up to 50% of managers’ time is devoted to conflict management.

The sources

Further information

Swiss Mediation Federation website

A need in this area?

Michel Paillard
Specialist in Corporate Health Management and Psychosocial Risks and Mediator Swiss Federation of Mediation (FSM)
Contact Michel by email

Editor's note: This article was written in French and automatically translated into English and German.