A Quarter of Employers Plan to introduce Meditation from April

More than a quarter of employers are planning to use mediation to resolve conflict in the workplace, and half of these will use in-house mediators, according to new research from UK law firm Dundas & Wilson.

The move has been prompted by the new Employment Act 2008, which comes into force this week, and includes changes to the statutory grievance procedures, replacing those with the ACAS Code of Practice on Discipline and Grievance Procedures which highlights mediation as the preferred tool for internal dispute resolution.

D&W surveyed 77 HR professionals at the CIPD conference on 11 March 2009, and found that 28 per cent planned to introduce mediation as part of their dispute resolution procedures following the abolition of the existing regime.

A further 44 per cent said they would be implementing this using in-house mediators.

Eilidh Wiseman, head of employment law at D&W and an accredited mediator said: ìMediation is a faster, cheaper and more flexible way of resolving internal disputes, and itís clear that businesses have begun to realise this and are actively bringing mediation into their internal systems.

ìGoing through the courts can be expensive and lengthy, not to mention public, and at the moment companies just canít afford to take their eye off the ball in dealing with a complicated tribunal case.î

D&Wís research also showed that most businesses were optimistic about the new regime, with 65 per cent saying the new ACAS code was an improvement on the outgoing statutory procedures.

Over a third highlighted flexibility as a key reason for viewing the new Code as an improvement, with almost a half hoping that the new Acas Code will be more straightforward.

Eilidh Wiseman added: ìAnything which can reduce the friction and hostility so often caused by workplace disputes can only be a good thing – not only are these unpleasant for those directly involved, but it can also be uncomfortable for colleagues and result in a less-productive working environment.

ìThe new ACAS Code of Practice is definitely a step in the right direction removing the technical traps that existed under the old dispute procedures. Forward thinking employers who embrace mediation and other early intervention strategies to reduce workplace conflict will reap the benefits that mediation can offer to their business.î

Anticipating this need for guidance on workplace mediation, D&W have developed an online training module to help employers design and implement mediation in their workplace. For more information go to www.dundas-wilson-training.com