Abstract
Given that much of the research about the use of workplace mediation in the UK has been published in the last 5 years, you may be forgiven for thinking that the idea of workplace mediation is a relative newcomer to debates about how conflict should be dealt with in the workplace. This conclusion, however, would be inaccurate. Arguments for the greater use of workplace mediation as a way of improving workplace relations by moving to more informal approaches and tackling the numbers of employees who seek resolution through formal systems have been present in policy debates for decades. Despite this, just 7 % of workplaces indicated that they have experience with workplace mediation (in the 12 months prior to the survey) (Van Wanrooy et al. 2013). This presents a confusing picture of the status of workplace mediation in the UK and it is to this confusion that this chapter seeks to speak.
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- 1.
From the outset it is important to note that the majority of the research focuses on England.
- 2.
The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) is a non-departmental government organisation offering free and impartial advice to employers and employees. In addition to this, they also provide arbitration and mediation services for collective and individual disputes, deliver early conciliation, conduct research, and develop Codes of Practice which are utilised as tools for establishing best practice.
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Deakin, R. (2016). HRM Practices and Mediation: Lessons Learnt from the UK. In: Bollen, K., Euwema, M., Munduate, L. (eds) Advancing Workplace Mediation Through Integration of Theory and Practice. Industrial Relations & Conflict Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42842-0_7
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