The September 2024 CIPD Report “How employers are tackling bullying and harassment at work” reveals a troubling gap between how employers perceive their conflict resolution efforts and how employees experience those processes. For many employers, there is a belief that effective procedures are in place to manage workplace disputes. Unfortunately, employees often report a starkly different reality. This disconnect can lead to unresolved issues, ongoing workplace tension, and diminished employee morale.Continue reading →

Anticipatory Duty and Early Conflict Resolution: A Proactive Approach to Workplace Harassment

From 1 October 2024, employers will be required to take proactive steps to protect their employees from sexual harassment. It will no longer be enough to have an up-to-date sexual harassment policy and offer staff training. Employers must demonstrate that they’ve identified the risks and implemented appropriate protections.Continue reading →

I am going to stick my neck out and suggest that workplace mediation offers perhaps the largest untapped opportunity for cost-cutting and improving profitability in business in the UK today. The many benefits of a mediation culture, including lower levels of conflict, improved morale, improved staff retention and even improved relations with suppliers and customers are really important and are a big part of that business case, but are outside the scope of this article. I am going to focus here just on the cost savings in terms of management and HR time.Continue reading →