Two-Thirds of employers have no experience of workplace mediation

Almost two-thirds of businesses have never used mediation to settle workplace disputes, according to research carried out by law firm Dundas & Wilson.

D&W surveyed 136 HR professionals from the public and private sectors, and found that only 36 per cent had tackled conflict at work with mediation. The findings come after the Government announced plans to expand the conciliation capacity of Acas, the dispute resolution service, with a 37m funding injection.

Eilidh Wiseman, head of employment law at D&W, and an accredited mediator, said mediation could save employers significant time and money in dealing with workplace disputes.

She said: ìA lot of employment tribunals could be avoided if both sides would sit down and address the issue instead of simply locking horns so early in the process, so itís disappointing that so few employers consider mediation in the early stages of a dispute.î

According to D&Wís research, for those who had used mediation, the benefits were many.. Chief among the plus points was the flexibility of the process, cited by 60 per cent of respondents as the key advantage.

Among the characteristics which contribute to the flexibility of mediation are the range of solutions available ñ compared to a tribunal where outcomes tend to be financial ñ and its ability to be used at any time in a dispute.

Eilidh said that the Governmentís commitment to Acas conciliation was to be welcomed, but should not narrow the marketplace for other independent mediation providers.

She added: ìItís encouraging to see the Government supports mediation as a way to better deal with workplace conflict, but itís important that the versatility offered by private external mediators is retained.

ìHR professionals clearly value flexibility, and for mediation to continue to offer full advantage, that level of choice should extend to the mediation marketplace.î