Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Latest NewsEmployee relationsMediation

Inadequate action on disputes costs UK firms £69m a year

by dan thomas 3 Oct 2005
by dan thomas 3 Oct 2005

UK employers are losing £69m a year by failing to tackle workplace disputes, research claims.

Employers spend £172m on industrial tribunals each year, but this could be drastically reduced if they were to take more effective action before disputes reach a tribunal, according to mediation firm Right Corecare.

Breakdowns in interpersonal relations represent the top reason that companies call in the mediation companies.

Heavy workloads, unclear objectives, poor communication, infrequent support and a lack of praise are all common catalysts for friction.

Bullying and harassment is the next most likely reason that organisations turn to external help.

Marilyn Appleton, mediation practice leader at Right Corecare, said: “With a litigation culture arriving in the UK, employers need to act now in order to reduce the risks to their business in terms of high legal costs and damage to overall morale in stress-related absence and employment tribunals.”

Top tips for resolving dispute



  1. Tackle disputes and breakdowns in relationships as soon as they arise

  2. Train managers in conflict resolution skills

  3. Have good policies on conduct and behaviour in the workplace and communicate them well to all staff

  4. Ensure employees understand the support available and the lines of communication if they are unhappy about a situation

  5. Have clear and specific job descriptions

  6. Practice good induction processes for new staff

  7. Provide stress awareness training for all staff

  8. Develop a good business management system with clear operating procedures and work instructions.

Avatar
dan thomas

previous post
Acas offers employment tribunal how-to DVD
next post
Usdaw seeks talks over Boots’ £7bn merger

You may also like

Who is on strike and when?

26 May 2023

Holiday pay changes: how entitlement will be simplified

26 May 2023

Finance worker wins £32,000 after ‘hormonal’ comments

26 May 2023

Retail headcount declines at fastest rate in 14...

26 May 2023

Pets at Home jobs boost with new stores

26 May 2023

Could micro-credentials help your business survive uncertainty?

26 May 2023

Bank holidays: six things employers need to know

26 May 2023

Black and ethnic minority workers twice as likely...

26 May 2023

Neonatal leave and parents’ redundancy protection bills become...

25 May 2023

Millions leave careers due to lack of flexibility

25 May 2023

  • The HR Bundle: Your one-stop guide to building a successful global HR Department PROMOTED | Get your hands on Deel’s free HR bundle...Read more
  • The Benefits of an Employee Assistance Programme PROMOTED | EAPs support employees in a range of ways...Read more
  • Intergenerational working and how to manage up and down the generations PROMOTED | The benefits and challenges of intergenerational workplaces...Read more
  • Bereavement in the workplace: How training can help HR get it right PROMOTED | HR professionals play an essential role...Read more
  • UK workforce mental wellbeing needs PROMOTED | The mental wellbeing support employers are providing misses the mark...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2023

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2023 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+