NYC Consumer and Worker Protection is an agency that benefited me as an intern. The agency gave me a learning experience since it exposed me to a real working environment. It helped me know how to use the content learned in class in a real working environment. It is also important to note that I gained significant knowledge within the agency on interacting with professionals in a workplace setting. This went a long way in helping me develop critical soft skills such as time management, problem-solving, teamwork, organization, and adaptability. The exposure gave me an outstanding opportunity to network with people in my work. Having a taste of a real workplace, I enjoyed being introduced to the field’s culture and etiquette (Columbia College, 2022). Developing good working etiquette helped me generate a base level of respect where I would find it easy to engage other employees’ personalities, thus preventing unnecessary chaos in the workplace. Analyzing the NYC Consumer and Worker’s agency will help in portraying my experience during spring internship.
Part I: Problems, Concerns, Issues Agency Addresses
From my experience, I noticed significant problems, concerns, and issues that the NYC Consumer and Worker’s Agency addresses. For instance, research reveals that the organization plays a significant role in protecting and enhancing the daily economic lives of people in New York City to create a thriving community. From my experience as a mediator intern, I learned that the agency ensures that consumers in New York are treated with utmost fairness regarding access to resources despite being of different ethnicity, race, nation of origin, and income level. This has been instrumental in eradicating workplace discrimination, creating an inclusive environment where individuals from diverse backgrounds have equal opportunities to work collaboratively. Over the years, the agency has played a significant role in addressing the issue of workers being exposed to illegal labor practices. The practice has helped promote fairness in the marketplace for consumers and business organizations, thus ensuring people in New York have unlimited access to healthy and safe services and products. One of the concerns that the agency can address is to ensure small business companies and owners have full and unlimited access to services and resources that will help them comply with the industry’s regulations, thus becoming successful without unnecessary straining brought about by a lack of fairness. I can also say that the agency has the ability to promote the safety of new work residents and visitors by overseeing the establishment of mechanisms for serving food, doing construction work, and offering health and beauty services to the public. The department should work on conducting a wide range of investigations rated to consumer complaints to come up with justified guidelines that will help promote fairness. Some complaints include wage theft, deceptive business practices, and safety and health issues. Some types of services aim to address concerns, and the problem is educating consumers about their responsibilities and rights to ensure they know what they expect.
Part II: Agency Overview
The overview of NYC Consumer and Worker’s Protection proves that it is an organization that helps restore and build fairness for the people of New York. I noticed the organization’s mission statement was to protect and enhance the daily economic lives of people living in New York to create a thriving society. Through this mission, the organization has achieved many of its functions. One of its crucial functions is to enforce the rights and responsibilities of consumers through legal action or mediation. As a mediator intern, I noticed that the organization works to connect small business owners with the resources they require to comply with regulations set to achieve fairness, which is the agency’s main function. The organizational management is said to be led by a commissioner who answers to the Mayor of New York. The commissioner’s office functions in connection with city agencies that aim to bring a sense of fairness to the region. The organization is divided into various subsections. These include the administrative services division, investigations division, legal enforcement division, regulatory affairs division, and fair workplace practices. These divisions are critical in investigating complaints and ensuring consumer laws are adhered to. Research reveals that the agency comprises nearly 150 individuals. This is enough workforce that helps the urgency run its duties.
Part III: Agency Perspective
Interviewing one employee at the organization helped me understand the perspective of agency. The interviewee provided me with extensive information about the agency, which all was positive. This is because he stressed the agency’s achievements to the New York Community. For instance, he claimed that it is through this agency that New Yorkers have achieved fairness through the law drafted by the organization. I believed the interviewee because he has worked for the agency for nearly ten years and is currently the commissioner. Before being appointed by the Mayor of New York to serve as the commissioner, the interviewee worked as a lawyer in one of the greatest courts in New York, and it is because of his professionalism he was entrusted to run an organization that pushes for fairness in the community. To change any part of the organization, the interviewee advocates for more governmental support that will help in making it for it to implement the laws or strategies set to make things work for the agency.
Part IV: Lessons Learned About Conflict at Your Agency
Being a mediator intern helped me gain a better and deeper understanding of conflict at the agency. It was noticed that conflicts are normal in any workplace, and there are several ways of resolving them (Keashly et al., 2020). In addition, I learn that the leader of an organization plays a central role in resolving any conflict. For instance, I learned that negotiation was the best way to resolve conflicts in the agency. This is where the commissioner involved the conflicting individuals or parties in finding common ground. This involved listening to their sides of the story and developing a solid solution. I also noted that the agency used various policies intending to reduce conflict. For instance, I used mediation and open communication between business owners and consumers policies to reduce conflict. Open communication is known for increasing understanding between parties involved in a conflict. Training and educational programs for consumers, business owners, and workers are other policies that have helped manage conflict in the organization.
Part V: Intern’s Role, Responsibilities, Tasks
I was assigned several roles, responsibilities, and tasks as an intern. One of the most crucial responsibilities was mediating between consumers and businesses in any form of conflict. This is where I appropriately used the two-step negotiation, which yielded impressive results. I used negotiation composed of two steps. The first step involved considering the parties’ perspectives in the conflict (Practicing Negotiation-2 Steps Process Video). The second step was trying to devise a solution for both parties. This helped me amiably solve conflicts between consumers and businesses, thus getting more positive feedback. The interns only corresponded via emails and follow-up phone calls. First, emails to both parties involved, followed up by phone calls to both the consumer and the business. It is important to note that Consumers are usually the complainants, and the business must follow through with the complaints within ten business days to avoid a violation by the City which results in a fine. The internship fit the organization since it placed me in a role I loved. This is solving problems and finding common ground for conflicting parties. I would solve several conflicts involving consumers and businesses on a typical day. For instance, one of the conflicts I remember was a consumer complaining about a lack of fairness to a certain business while the latter claimed to have observed all regulations and laws. I helped them find common ground by having the business owner consider the perspectives of different consumers and finding the best way to handle them to avoid conflicts.
Part VI: Problems, Snags, Obstacles
What troubled me in this situation was the presence of double standards. The supervisor had encouraged interns to work independently, citing the fast-paced nature of the environment. I followed this guidance, only to be negatively affected by the supervisor’s differing expectations and subsequent criticism. Ultimately, he criticized that I was supposed to wait for him before tackling the situation, which I needed clarification. In this situation, the laundromat damaged the clients damaged clothing. She wanted $250 back. The business/laundromat wanted to give $0 because they felt the clothing was familiar and damaged. Ultimately, the business gave $150 for the seven pieces of damaged items. My concerns were the double standards; the supervisor James Harris encouraged the interns to work independently, as he said it’s a fast-paced environment. I thought I did only to be negatively impacted by the double standards.
Part VII: Reflection
Serving as a mediator in the agency was one of the best experiences I ever had in any workplace has been before. The academic coursework and extracurricular activities at John Jay played a significant role in preparing for the mediator intern role. However, I needed to gain skills such as critical thinking and effective communication, which I learned at the agency. The internship met my expectations since I was able to work on my own without the help of any staff. This is because I could mediate some conflicts all on my own. The only thing I wish to change is time management despite the nature of the conflict. I would like to keep the ability to listen to complaints effectively and provide sound solutions. I recommend the agency to other students wishing to get a quality working experience because the organization has favorable working and earning atmosphere. One of the key lessons I learned was the ability to make sound decisions that helped solve conflicts.
Part VIII: Additional Insights
Reflecting on my internship as a student mediator at the organization in question, I found that my academic coursework and extracurricular activities at John Jay College prepared me well for the work. However, I needed to improve my skills in managing highly emotional situations. Overall, the internship met my expectations by allowing me to apply classroom concepts to real-life consumer disputes, gaining insight into the complexities involved. I recommend the internship site to other students due to its supportive environment and valuable learning opportunities. Through my experience I learned the importance of active listening, empathy, and neutrality as a mediator, the challenges consumers face, and the significance of consumer advocacy.
References
Columbia College, C. (2022, September 7). The benefits of an internship – CC Connected. CC Connected. https://connected.ccis.edu/2022/09/benefits-of-internship/#:~:text=Interns%20not%20only%20gain%20technical,%2C%20problem%2Dsolving%20and%20teamwork.
Keashly, L., Minkowitz, H., & Nowell, B. L. (2020). Conflict, conflict resolution and workplace bullying. In Bullying and harassment in the workplace (pp. 331-361). CRC Press. https://ebrary.net/131642/psychology/conflict_conflict_resolution_workplace_bullying
Practicing Negotion-2 Steps Process Video
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