Conflict Resolution

Conflict Resolution in the Workplace

My co-teachers and I all work 10 hour days with 1 or 2 days off per week.  I am taking 2 days off this year so I have more time to devote to studying during the day when I am more alert.  This means that I am in the classroom only 3 days per week while my co-teachers are each there 4 days.  We have an agreement that if a decision needs to be made, at least 3 people must agree on it.  However, I am only with each of them 2 days per week and they are all together 3 days.  So they have more time to discuss things when I am not there.

The issue is with which hours each person will work each day.  The shifts are 7 to 5, 7:30 to 5:30 and 8 to 6.  Before I got there, it was agreed that hours would rotate by school year.  So the early person would go to the middle hours, the middle to the late and the late back to the early hours.  This worked out great because no one had to work the early or late hours year after year.

Last year I worked the 7 to 5 hours so I assumed I would be working the 7:30 to 5:30 shift this year.  However, just before the end of the summer, I was sent an email by one of my coworkers listing a schedule that had apparently been agreed upon by all three of my co-teachers.  It had me having a day off that I did not request and working a different shift every day.  It was presented that two of the teachers needed certain hours because they have children in the center and one needs to get to an exercise class.  I said the altered days off were fine but I needed the early hours on one of the days to go to my second job.  The person with the exercise class would not agree so I had to arrange to be late to my second job every week.  Our director said the teacher that took one of the days off I wanted had every right to do that even though I have more seniority.  She said we would all need to spread the hours around.

Looking at the Non Violent Conflict models on the Third Side website, there are various factors contributing to this frustrating situation.  There are needs that people feel are not being met, such as two teacher's needs in their identity as mother, one in her identity as injured person needing exercise and me in my identity as a student.  There are also emotions such as jealousy over me being able to take two days off and general frustration and exhaustion from all of us over a challenging job.

The good news is we have previous bridges built to each other.  Our bank of goodwill has grown from all working together for 3 years.  We all really care about the children involved, each other's' physical health and need to have interests outside the classroom.  We also have various people who fulfill the roles needed, according to the third side model.  We are all teachers so we are certainly capable of learning how to resolve these conflicts.  Our job goes a long way to provide for our financial needs and we are provided a lot of food to eat throughout the day.  We have a nice environment to work in.  Our one director has acted as arbiter by saying everyone's days off will remain and that we need to take turns with the hours.  Our shared faith in Jesus Christ will help us to heal from hurt feelings that may remain after we resolve these issues, along with the support of our other director and our maintenance man who act as our spiritual guides.  One of our co-teachers is particularly good at equalizing a situation by seeing solutions others did not, she also acts as a referee.  Our support person who covers our breaks is a good peacekeeper as she listens to each of us, helping us see the others' point of view.

Now that I have looked at this situation through the eyes of NVC and the Third Side I feel a lot more positive and hopeful about the situation.  I think that we need to sit down together and share the role of mediator as we all consider everyone's needs and come to an equitable solution.  If we cannot all be together, we do have a communication book where a conversation can be started and everyone can contribute.  I will suggest that we come up with a new schedule each month so everyone gets to benefit from the different hours and see what happens.