Government plans to provide mediation networks for SMEs
25th January 2012
Posted by Rachel Krys
As part of its ongoing efforts to reform employment tribunals, the government has announced plans to pilot a scheme of mediation networks.
The programme is aimed at helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) resolve allegations of discrimination in the workplace and other disputes before they reach the employment tribunal stage
"We have always said that employment tribunals should be a last resort for resolving workplace disputes," said employment relations minister Edward Davey.
"Mediation offers an informal method of dispute resolution and can be used at the point when problems first arise in the workplace.
"For both employers and employees it can mean avoiding the need for formal discipline and grievance procedures. And it can also mean avoiding the time-consuming, complex and often stressful employment tribunal process."
The two pilot networks are planned for Manchester and Cambridge, where employees from a group of 24 SMEs will receive mediation training from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The scheme will run for a year and if it proves to be a success could be introduced to other parts of the UK.
The intention to run the pilot programme was published in November last year as part of the government's response to the Resolving Workplace Disputes consultation, which revealed that SMEs in particular were unfamiliar with the process of mediation.
CIPD's employee relations adviser Mike Emmott told People Management that the institute welcomed the encouragement and training of mediation among SMEs.
He said: "It's good to get employers and employees used to the idea of mediation, and it is striking how little it is used.
"This scheme is about developing in-house capability, with employers able set up a team of competent mediators. It's also likely the scheme will be broad enough to embrace activities such as training line managers to deal with difficult conversations."
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