Firms ‘failing to utilise mediation to resolve workplace conflict’

Companies are not embracing mediation as a means of resolving workplace disputes, it has been suggested.

According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), almost three-fifths of organisations surveyed had never used the technique to help manage conflict.

However, of the firms that do utilise mediation, over 80 per cent reported that it helps to improve relationships between workers, while 71 per cent claimed that it reduces the stress involved with the use of formal disciplinary or grievance procedures.

"All employers should consider using mediation as a flexible alternative to the formal disciplinary or grievance procedure," stated Mike Emmott, CIPD employee relations adviser.

Get our essential weekday HR news and updates. Name This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Work Email Keep up with the latest in HR... This field is hidden when viewing the form Optin_form This field is hidden when viewing the form Optin_date Year Month Day This field is hidden when viewing the form Batch_Newsletter

He added that more organisations should invest in training line managers in conflict management and informal mediation skills.

A professional body that represents those involved in the management and development of workers, the CIPD claims to have 130,000 members.