Arbitration is supposed to provide an efficient, inexpensive and less adversarial method of resolving disputes in the workplace but concerns arise as more companies adopt mandatory arbitration to avoid jury trials. One the one hand, critics of mandatory arbitration fear that the cost of arbitration is passed on to workers and that arbitrators may be biased towards employers. On the other hand, defenders of arbitration say that fairness standards are followed and that not having to hire a lawyer may actually encourage workers to bring their case forward.
See "Arbitration’s Rise Raises Fairness Issue", Stephanie Armour, USA Today, June 11, 2001