What happens if one party refused to attend the arbitration?

An arbitrator may hold a hearing in the absence of one party so long as the absent party received fair notice of the date, time, and place of the hearing but refused to attend. However, many arbitrators attempt to avoid so-called exparte hearings because hearings of this nature are not likely to help resolve underlying workplace issues. If the arbitrator decides to hold the hearing with only one party present, the arbitrator’s ruling will be based on the evidence presented by the appearing party. An arbitrator will not make a ruling based solely on the default of one party.