“Will my employer know it’s me?”
Only if you want them to. You have full control.
🛡 You Choose Your Disclosure Level
When you submit a concern, you select how much identifying information to share. You can choose Standard Confidentiality (your identity is protected) or Full Disclosure (you consent to sharing your name). You can change this at any time during the process.
🔒 Your Employer Sees Only What You Approve
Before your concern is sent to the employer, you’ll see a preview of exactly what they’ll receive. The employer gets a structured summary of the concern, not your raw submission. Your personal contact details are never shared without your explicit consent.
⚖ California’s Mediation Privilege Protects Everything
Communications made during mediation on this platform are designed to be protected by California’s mediation confidentiality law. This generally means mediation communications are inadmissible in noncriminal proceedings and cannot be compelled through a subpoena, with limited statutory exceptions.
California Mediation Confidentiality Law
“What if my employer retaliates?”
Retaliation is illegal. And we’ve built extra protections into the platform.
🚫 Retaliation Is Illegal
Retaliation for raising a workplace concern is prohibited under California and federal law. This includes termination, demotion, pay cuts, schedule changes, harassment, or any other adverse action taken because you submitted a concern. California has some of the strongest anti-retaliation laws in the country, and if your employer retaliates, you have legal remedies available under multiple statutes.
California Labor Code § 1102.5 (whistleblower protection) • Government Code § 12940(h) (FEHA anti-retaliation) • Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
📋 Documented Trail
Every action on the platform is timestamped and logged. If retaliation occurs after you submit a concern, the platform’s records create a clear timeline establishing when the employer learned of your concern and when any adverse action was taken. This documentation can be critical evidence if you ever need to prove a connection between your complaint and your employer’s response.
How Wiser Workplace Adds to Your Options
Traditional Options
- Internal HR processes may not feel neutral to you
- Internal complaints can become discoverable in litigation
- Traditional legal processes typically cost $5,000 - $15,000+ upfront
- Litigation takes 1 - 3 years and involves public court filings
- Government agency processes can take 12 - 18 months or longer
With Wiser Workplace
- Neutral platform independent of both you and your employer
- All communications protected by California’s mediation privilege
- Professional mediators available from our network if both sides agree
- Retaliation is illegal under California and federal law
- Employer must accept Terms of Service (including confidentiality) before seeing any details
- Free for employees, always
- Designed to resolve in weeks, not years
What Happens After You Submit
You Tell Us What Happened (Day 1)
Your submission is encrypted and stored securely. You choose your disclosure level. Only you can see your full submission at this point.
We Review & Prepare (Days 1-2)
Our team reviews the submission for completeness and prepares a structured summary for the employer. We never alter your account of what happened.
Employer Notified (Day 3)
The employer receives a confidential summary. They must accept the Terms of Service, including the confidentiality and mediation privilege provisions, before seeing any details.
Resolution Process Begins
The platform facilitates communication between you and the employer. If both sides agree, a professional mediator from our network can be added to assist. All discussions are confidential and protected by California’s mediation privilege.
If the Employer Doesn’t Respond (14 Days)
If your employer doesn’t engage within 14 days, we notify you and provide you with all your case documentation so you can explore other options, including consulting with an employment attorney.
Resolution or Next Steps
If both sides engage, most concerns resolve within weeks. You are encouraged to have any proposed agreement reviewed by your own legal counsel before signing. If the process doesn’t resolve your concern, you retain all your legal rights. Nothing you said on this platform can be used against you.
“Mediation communications are generally inadmissible in noncriminal proceedings and cannot be compelled. That’s California law.”
California mediation confidentiality law, with limited statutory exceptions.
“What about my data?”
We store the minimum necessary and delete it when we’re done.
🗄 Clear Retention & Deletion
Active case data is retained only while your case is open plus 90 days. After that, resolved case data is kept for 12 months in archived form, then permanently deleted. You can request deletion at any time. We respond within 30 days and will confirm in writing that your data has been destroyed.
🔐 How We Secure Your Information
All data is encrypted in transit and at rest. We process sensitive data on our servers, not in your browser. We use industry-standard hosting providers and payment processors that maintain their own security certifications. Your data is encrypted in transit and at rest. Access to case data is limited to authorized personnel only.
💰 How We Make Money (Not From You)
Wiser Workplace is free for employees, always. Employers pay a subscription fee to access the platform’s communication and resolution tools. We also receive fees from professional mediators who subscribe to our network. We never sell your data. We never show you ads. Our revenue comes entirely from the services we provide to employers and professionals.
Common Questions
Is this really free?
Yes. Employees never pay anything. The employer pays a subscription fee to access the platform. We designed it this way because the employee shouldn’t have to pay to report a workplace problem.
Is Wiser Workplace on the employer’s side?
No. We are a neutral resolution platform. We don’t advocate for either side. We don’t evaluate whether your complaint has merit. Our role is to facilitate communication and help both sides reach a resolution. If we favored one side, the other would stop using the platform. Neutrality is what makes the process work.
Can my employer see my full submission?
No. Your employer receives a structured summary, not your raw submission. You control what identifying information is included. You’ll see a preview of exactly what the employer will receive before anything is sent.
What if I need a lawyer?
If your concern can’t be resolved through mediation, you retain all your legal rights. Using this platform does not waive any of your legal rights. And because of mediation confidentiality, nothing you said on the platform can be used by either side in any future legal proceeding. If you need legal counsel, you can consult with an attorney on your own, and we’ll provide you with all your case documentation.
What if my employer ignores the complaint?
If the employer doesn’t respond within 14 days, we’ll notify you and provide you with all your case documentation and resources. We recommend consulting with an employment attorney about your next steps. We don’t just leave you hanging.
Can I withdraw my complaint?
Yes. You can withdraw at any time through the platform. We have a simple withdrawal form, and your data will be handled according to our retention policy (or you can request immediate deletion).
How is this different from hiring an attorney or going to court?
Litigation is adversarial, expensive, and public. Wiser Workplace is a confidential resolution process: it’s faster, private, and designed to reach a resolution without a courtroom. If mediation doesn’t resolve your concern, you retain all your legal rights. Using this platform does not waive any of your rights or affect any legal deadlines.