Welcome to the Northern Mediation Partnership
Unresolved workplace conflict can be distracting, demoralising and debilitating for everyone involved.
According to the 2007 CIPD report, on average, organisations spend more than 350 days in management time in managing disciplinary and grievance cases. Employers face average annual costs associated with employment tribunal claims and hearings of £20,000.
If you are a manager, trades union rep or an HR specialist you will also
know that:
- People, relationships and performance suffer
- Sickness absence costs can rise; incidents of stress-related illness increases
- Staff morale can suffer and staff turnover increase
- Management energy and attention can be directed away from the objectives of the organisation
- A blame culture can develop
- The employer’s reputation can be compromised
Many workplace disputes could be resolved without the use of formal procedures.
The Employment Act 2008 places responsibility onto employers to provide early interventions when conflicts and disputes arise.
- Mediation can be used at any stage of a conflict as long as any ongoing formal procedures are held in abeyance
- Mediation is, however, particularly effective when used at the initial phase of any disagreement
- Once formal procedures are started views can quickly become adversarial. Conflict can then escalate and positions become entrenched
- Mediation can also be used after disciplinary or grievance investigations to help rebuild effective working relationships.
The Northern Mediation Partnership can help organisations to save time and money, avoid negative publicity and minimise the damage that can be caused by workplace conflict.
