Wiser Workplace
Mediator credentialing

Standards for the Wiser Workplace mediator directory.

What it takes to be on the directory at launch. We publish these standards so prospective mediators can self-qualify, parties know who is on the directory, and the public has a clear baseline.

California does not issue a general state mediator license. Wiser Workplace's directory standards are platform requirements, not government certifications. Each mediator on the directory is an independent professional, not a Wiser Workplace employee. We collect each directory mediator's self-attestation of the credentials below, together with supporting documents, and maintain insurance and conflict records on file. Wiser Workplace does not supervise the mediator's work and does not guarantee any mediation outcome.

1. Credentials and experience

Mediators on the directory hold at least one of the following voluntary professional credentials, with supporting documentation uploaded at application:

✓California Dispute Resolution Council (CDRC) certified mediator
✓Southern California Mediation Association (SCMA) member with practice listing
✓JAMS, AAA, ADR Services, or Signature Resolution active panel mediator
✓California Superior Court ADR panel certification (LA, SF, OC, San Diego, Sacramento, or any other CA Superior Court ADR program)
✓Retired California judge (Superior Court bench, Court of Appeal, or California Supreme Court)
✓EEOC mediator panel or California Civil Rights Department mediator panel
✓Other equivalent voluntary credential on case-by-case review

Minimum mediation experience: 5 years of mediation practice. Employment-dispute exposure is preferred but not required for general practitioners; specialty experience in employment, wage-hour, harassment, discrimination, accommodation, or wrongful-termination matters is noted on the directory profile.

2. Professional liability insurance

✓Active professional liability coverage with policy limits of at least $1,000,000 per claim
✓Certificate of Insurance on file with Wiser Workplace, refreshed annually
✓Mediator confirms coverage extends to engagements arising through the platform's bilateral mediator selection process (or carries a separate policy that does)

Wiser Workplace's own E&O and cyber liability coverage is separate and does not extend to a mediator's professional services. Each mediator is responsible for maintaining their own coverage as a condition of remaining on the directory.

3. Ethics and disclosure obligations

Each directory mediator commits in writing, as part of the Mediator Services Agreement, to the following:

✓Conflict-of-interest disclosure to all parties before accepting an engagement, covering personal, professional, and financial relationships with either party or their counsel
✓Payer disclosure when applicable: who pays the mediator's fee (commonly the employer) is disclosed to the employee in writing before the mediation begins. This is a platform requirement and a matter of good practice; we do not claim it is imposed by any rule of professional conduct, because it is not
✓Role clarification for unrepresented parties, which for attorney mediators is a professional duty rather than a courtesy. California Rule of Professional Conduct 2.4 requires a lawyer serving as a third-party neutral to inform unrepresented parties that the lawyer is not representing them, and, where the lawyer knows or reasonably should know that a party does not understand the role, to explain the difference between acting as a third-party neutral and acting as a lawyer for a client. Employees using this platform are frequently unrepresented, so attorney mediators on the directory commit to making that disclosure on the record
✓Repeat-engagement disclosure if the mediator has previously mediated a matter with the same employer (frequency and recency)
✓Independence of professional judgment: mediator conducts the mediation on their own professional terms and is not directed by Wiser Workplace
✓Confidentiality observance: mediator commits to operating mediations consistent with California's mediation confidentiality framework
✓Mandatory-reporting carveouts respected: mediator acknowledges California's mandatory-reporting carveouts (criminal acts, child abuse, elder abuse) and the cooperation obligation that attaches

4. Compensation structure

Wiser Workplace's fee structure is designed with California Rule of Professional Conduct 5.4 in mind. The rule runs in one direction, and it is worth stating accurately: rule 5.4(a) provides that a lawyer or law firm shall not share legal fees, directly or indirectly, with a nonlawyer or with an organization not authorised to practise law, subject to enumerated exceptions. It constrains lawyers, not platforms, and it concerns legal fees, which a mediator's fee for mediation services ordinarily is not. We design to it anyway, because some directory mediators are attorneys and we would rather not test the edges. Specifically:

✓Mediators set their own rates. Wiser Workplace does not set, cap, or otherwise control mediator rates.
✓The mediation fee is paid by the designated payer (commonly the employer in employer-funded matters, or split between parties in shared-cost arrangements). The fee is paid directly to the mediator.
✓Wiser Workplace charges a flat annual slate access fee, not a per-case or per-match charge. The access fee is separate from the mediator's professional fee and is never a percentage of the mediator's fee, consistent with CRPC 5.4.
✓Founding-cohort mediators pay no listing fee, no platform fee, and have no minimum case commitment during the founding period.

5. Founding cohort vs. general directory

Open now

Founding cohort

  • First 25 mediators accepted
  • No listing fee, no platform fee, no minimum case commitment during the founding period
  • Featured directory placement and Founding Network badge
  • Priority case matching when mediator-guided resolution goes live
  • Direct input on platform features (intake design, conflict screening, post-session follow-up) via quarterly cohort calls
  • Directory listing now; case routing starting
Opens after the founding cohort

General directory

  • Open to qualified mediators meeting the standards above
  • Subject to a small annual platform fee (set after founding cohort closes; consistent with CRPC 5.4)
  • Case matching by specialization, county, and party preference
  • Standard placement on the directory
  • Optional features (premium profile, expedited matching) on a separate fee schedule

6. Application and review process

  1. Application. Submit through wiserworkplace.com/mediators (about ten minutes).
  2. Document review. Wiser Workplace verifies submitted credentials, insurance certificate, and any references. Independent verification with issuing bodies happens for credentials that are publicly verifiable; we rely on mediator self-attestation for credentials that are not.
  3. Brief orientation. Approved applicants complete a platform orientation (typically under an hour) covering technology, confidentiality framework, conflict-screening workflow, and case mechanics.
  4. Mediator Services Agreement signed. Confirms independent-contractor status, confidentiality, conflict and payer disclosure obligations, fee structure, and insurance commitments.
  5. Profile goes live. Directory listing is published. For founding-cohort applications received before launch, listing goes live immediately and case routing begins at launch. For general-directory applications received after launch, listing and case-eligibility begin upon onboarding completion.
  6. Annual renewal. Insurance certificate refreshed annually. Conflict log reviewed annually. Mediator may update profile, specialties, and county availability at any time.

Most mediators are fully onboarded within one to two weeks of applying.

7. Removal from the directory

Wiser Workplace removes mediators from the directory in any of the following circumstances:

Removal decisions are made by Wiser Workplace's principal in consultation with cohort representatives where appropriate. Mediators removed for cause are notified in writing and may appeal in writing within 30 days.

Ready to apply?

Founding-cohort applications close once the first 25 are accepted. The application takes about ten minutes.

Apply to the Founding Cohort

Wiser Workplace is a technology platform, not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice. Mediators on the directory are independent professionals; Wiser Workplace does not supervise their work and does not guarantee any mediation outcome. The credentialing standards above are platform requirements; California does not issue a general state mediator license. Each mediator's specific qualifications and experience are displayed on their directory profile. Parties are encouraged to confirm a mediator's credentials and fit directly with the mediator before engaging.