BIS launches mediation trials but are they necessary?

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Martin Malone

On 23 January the Employment Relations Minister, Edward Davey, announced a pilot scheme for regional mediation networks for SMEs.

This has resulted from the government’s Resolving Workplace Disputes consultation which opened with the consultation document in January 2011 and closed with the government’s response in November 2011.

Located in Cambridge and Manchester, BIS will fund mediation training for employees from a group of 24 SMEs in each of the pilot areas. A network of trained mediators will be available to provide mediation to other organisations with a view to resolving workplace disputes without the need for employment tribunal proceedings. Continue reading →

alternative dispute resolution to be promoted

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Martin Malone

As part of the government’s review of employment law strategies to reduce the number of claims which get as far as a tribunal are less controversial, and, some might say, less pro-employer.

ACAS’ current power to conciliate will revert to a duty, and all cases will be referred to voluntary early conciliation before employment tribunal proceedings are started, with an extension of a month to the time limit for bringing claims to allow for this. ACAS has a reasonable track record of success in such early conciliation, but the crunch will be whether they have the resources to cope with the level of work. The need to increase resources is recognised, with the government saying that the additional funding needed will be paid for from the savings made elsewhere. It has to be observed that referral to ACAS in past similar arrangements which operated until 2009 frequently amounted to little more than a few phone calls. Accordingly not too much should be expected from this initiative. Continue reading →

BIS Guide to avoiding discipline and grievance issues at work

Posted on October 9, 2009 by Martin Malone

The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has, in conjunction with the Chartered Intitute of Personnel Development and ACAS, produced a new guide outlining procedures for dealing with discipline, dismissal and grievance procedures. The guide can be downloaded here. Although the ACAS Guide should still be the primary point of reference (since this is the one which tribunals are required to consider), nonetheless the BIS guide is a handy summary of the online resources available for employers.

There is a similar guide available for employees.

ACAS staff shortage in face of increasing tribunal claims

Posted on May 31, 2009 by Martin Malone

ACAS has written to service users (including CLB Employment Solutions) to notify a staff shortage in the face of a significant increase in employment tribunal claims.

In February 2009 ACAS experienced a 30% increase in cases by comparison with February 2008, leading to arrangements to recruit and train over 100 extra conciliators. However, while recruitment is undertaken, they have warned that “there will inevitably be a period where there is a significant imbalance between cases being received and resources [they] are able to deploy to conciliation”.

This is another symptom of the problems which are currently being experienced in the administration of employment tribunal claims which all practitioners have encountered. The tribunal system was introduced as a fast and straightforward means of resolving workplace disputes and claims but the sheer number of claims is leading the process to creak under pressure.