News

Mediate your way through the redundancy process, Daily Telegraph (8 September 2009)

Anna Shields and Alex Efthymiades explain how to manage conflict in the workplace before, during and after redundancy

In difficult economic times, “redundancy” and “conflict” are sadly, common themes. Redundancy is challenging for all concerned, not just the distress and difficulty for departing employees, but also the negative impact upon the wider team, business management and clients. The good news is that conflict can be effectively managed and, in some cases, completely avoided through the use of mediation and conflict resolution techniques.

The redundancy process for most organisations is a drastic measure designed to improve the financial “bottom line”. Whilst the cost savings are obvious, ironically, the inherent conflict caused by redundancy ends up costing business far more than they expected and indeed, bargained for. The reason behind the paradox is that HR and managers are often not suitably equipped to conduct the difficult conversations which occur, resulting in lost morale and productivity. Training in mediation and conflict resolution skills can help organisations before, during and after the redundancy period.

The first phase of redundancy includes numerous meetings held behind closed doors which make employees feel stressed, insecure and often demoralised. This decreases productivity and massively increases the potential for conflict and possibly employee initiated litigation. The best way to nip conflict in the bud is to effectively communicate with employees and to take on board employee feedback. Managers and HR trained in mediation and conflict resolution skills will be able to consult with staff, and, where possible, negotiate alternatives to redundancy. By engaging with employees in a procedure that affects the whole organisation, the likelihood of conflict decreases and “win-win” alternatives may be found, including sabbaticals, part-time employment, salary decreases and job sharing. These solutions not only save time and money, but they may also decrease the number of necessary redundancies or, at the very least, smooth the process for all concerned.

If redundancy is the only option, resulting conflicts tend to be the most challenging as they are driven by loss of self-esteem, fear and insecurity. Although dismissal is often unrelated to performance, departing employees may feel demoralised, hurt and betrayed. Again, it is critical that managers and HR are trained in how to handle redundancy conversations in order to limit claims of unfair dismissal. Managers and HR need to communicate openly about redundancy and, in difficult situations, appoint an external mediator to help employees deal with unresolved conflict.

Once redundancies are complete, the final phase deals with resulting issues, such as impact on team morale, survivors’ guilt and new work responsibilities. Again, mediation and conflict resolution skills can be used by managers and HR to resolve ensuing conflicts, to boost employee morale and to embed learning from the process.

With the UK unemployment rate hitting peaks not seen in recent memory, so are Employment Tribunal claims citing unfair dismissals. The new ACAS Code of Practice calls for disputes to be solved at an early stage and recommends mediation as part of every organisation’s dispute resolution portfolio. An appropriate plan, which includes training management in mediation and conflict resolution skills, means redundancy can be managed more effectively at every phase.

For further information visit: www.consensiopartners.co.uk

Download Daily Telegraph supplement Working with Redundancy (PDF, 2.3 mb)

Mediation puts a halt to grievance cases, People Management (4 September 2009)

PCT reduces number of formal processes by training staff in dispute resolution

An in-house mediation service at East Lancashire NHS Teaching Primary Care Trust has reduced formal dispute cases by 60 per cent in its first year, PM has learnt.

Karen Bailey, a change consultant at the trust, said she set up the service in April last year after being “struck by the number of formal processes” going on, particularly grievance and fair treatment cases.

The trust trained 15 members of staff, including front-line workers, managers and union stewards, as mediators and appointed a dispute resolution lead to work alongside HR to coordinate the service.

Bailey said the most common dispute issues were around perceptions of bullying, harassment and racial issues, but now any member of staff who approached a union or the HR department with a problem was asked to consider mediation.

A mediator would spend time with each of the parties to “allow them to express their version of events” before a joint meeting was arranged, facilitated by the mediators, to “encourage honest dialogue and help the parties to move towards their goals”.

“Seeing the stories from each perspective often generates empathy and from empathy you will have a magic moment where, more often than not you, will have an apology of some kind. From there on the language changes and they begin to build bridges,” Bailey said.

The trust, which employs 3,000 people, is still working hard at embedding the service but Bailey is now also working with a neighbouring trust to help them to introduce a similar scheme.

An interim review of the health and well-being of NHS staff, conducted by occupational health expert Steve Boorman, recently cited mediation as a key way of solving deep-rooted cultural problems around bullying and harassment in the health service. Bailey agreed with the findings, saying that mediation was “not just about reducing formal processes”.

“Formal processes don’t do people any good. They are time-consuming and energy-draining. Mediation is better for staff – it’s quicker and puts them in control,” she said.

Conflict management training provider Consensio recently reported a 420 per cent increase in demand for its services during the first half of 2009, following changes to the Employment Act in April. Statutory dispute resolution procedures were repealed and replaced by the voluntary Acas code of practice, which encourages organisations to resolve disputes in-house and at an early stage.

By Lucy Phillips

Link to article:

http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/articles/2009/09/mediation-puts-a-halt-to-grievance-cases.htm

Press Releases

Consensio Announces the Launch of its Conflict Clinic (28 January 2010)

London, January 28, 2010 – Consensio, a leading conflict management and workplace mediation provider, today announces the launch of its Conflict Clinic.  This free interactive service will allow HR professionals to access information on informal conflict resolution processes, including mediation and conflict coaching. 

Consensio’s Conflict Clinic is a unique and bespoke service which offers HR professionals a one-stop shop for enquiries about managing workplace conflict. The Conflict Clinic will provide clear, practical and professional advice in a timely manner.

Although many organisations are aware of the costs of conflict and would like to offer informal in-house dispute resolution processes, they face various challenges. These include a limited capacity of staff with conflict resolution or mediation skills, a lack of awareness of mediation services, as well as the prevalence of employees who choose the formal route to conflict resolution.   

The new ACAS Code of Practice on Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures recommends the use of mediation to resolve workplace conflict as a means of decreasing formal grievances and Employment Tribunal (ET) claims. Current figures show that ET claims are at a record high and these numbers are expected to continue to rise in 2010. With this in mind, and reacting to client demand for access to impartial professionals, Consensio has developed the Conflict Clinic to allow organisations to directly contact an expert for support and guidance.

“The use of alternative forms of dispute resolution, including mediation, to resolve workplace conflict is important in any type of organisation. But in order for this to be successful, staff within organisations require adequate skills, as well as confidence.  Due to the significant cost of conflict to organisations and employees, organisations need to work harder to solve conflict before it reaches formal process and escalates to Employment Tribunal”, said Anna Shields, Director of Consensio.  “The Conflict Clinic has been created to help organisations get support and advice from experts in the field, to answer questions and concers  HR professionals may have, and to promote informal ways of resolving conflict, such as through the use of mediation or conflict coaching.”   

To access the Conflict Clinic, please visit: www.consensiopartners.co.uk. 

About Consensio

Consensio is a leading provider of conflict management and workplace mediation solutions to organisations across the UK.  Consensio believes that each client is unique and its team of experts pride themselves in creating and delivering cost-effective bespoke solutions to help manage workplace conflict.  Consensio works in partnership with its clients and offers an array of services including: mediation, coaching, consultancy and accredited training.  Consensio’s customers span small organisations to FTSE 100 enterprises, in both the private, public and third sectors across the UK.   For more information about Consensio, please visit: www.consensiopartners.co.uk.

Press Contact:  marketing@consensiopartners.co.uk or +44(0)203 286 3097

Consensio Reports In-house Mediation Success at NHS East Lancashire (4 November 2009)

London, November 4, 2009 – Consensio, a leading conflict management and workplace mediation provider, along with NHS East Lancashire, reports the success of the Trust’s in-house mediation scheme, 18 months following its inception.

In spring 2008, NHS East Lancashire decided to implement an in-house mediation service as an alternative way to deal with workplace conflict. The Trust commissioned Consensio to provide a bespoke in-house accredited mediation training course to delegates who would subsequently work as in-house mediators. NHS East Lancashire, which has 2,800 employees, provides and funds health services to 388,400 residents in the local Lancashire region.

NHS East Lancashire’s in-house mediation scheme comprises 15 accredited mediators. In the 18 months since the scheme was developed, the in-house mediators have undertaken 23 mediations, of which 22 have resulted in a written agreement. This translates to a 96% success rate. In addition, the formal processes have been reduced by 60% since spring 2008, and the scheme has resulted in cost-savings of over £200,000 to the Trust.

“Although the scheme has only existed for 18 months, it has already made a fundamental impact on the Trust, in terms of culture change, cost and time savings. The bespoke training from Consensio provided us with a formal framework to prepare and plan for difficult mediations. We are very pleased with the outcome of the scheme and continue to work with Consensio to ensure success in the future,” said Karen Bailey, Change Consultant, NHS East Lancashire.

“The accredited mediation training was a great success as we worked in partnership with the Trust to develop and deliver a training course that reflected the culture of the Trust and the needs of the delegates. We wrote each case study in conjunction with NHS East Lancashire to make sure that delegates were practicing conflict situations they may encounter in their future case load,” said Alex Efthymiades, Director of Consensio. “We are pleased that we could be a part of such a great success.”

A case study of NHS East Lancashire, which explores how the in-house mediation scheme was set up and which includes key measures of success, is available for download at: www.consensiopartners.co.uk

About Consensio:

Consensio is a leading provider of conflict management and workplace mediation solutions to organisations across the UK. Consensio believes that each client is unique and its team of experts pride themselves in creating and delivering cost-effective bespoke solutions to help manage workplace conflict. Consensio works in partnership with its clients and offers an array of services, including: mediation, coaching, consultancy and accredited training. Consensio’s customers span small organisations to FTSE 100 enterprises, in the private, public and third sectors across the UK. For more information about Consensio, please visit: www.consensiopartners.co.uk

Press Contact: marketing@consensiopartners.co.uk or +44(0)7912 283974

Consensio to Present Mediation Implementation Strategies at CIPD Event (15 September 2009)

London, September 15, 2009 – Consensio, a leading conflict management and workplace mediation provider, has been invited by the CIPD London branch to present a seminar entitled “How to Embed Mediation Within Your Organisation” on September 21^st, 2009, in central London.

Since the introduction of the new Employment Act, a large number of organisations are planning to implement mediation into their policies and practices. Consensio will present an interactive session which describes how to introduce mediation into an overall HR strategy. Consensio will identify, through a case study, how mediation has helped one client organisation dramatically reduce its grievance caseload. Details of the seminar and how to register are listed below.

Title: How to Embed Mediation Within Your Organisation

Date: 21 September 2009

Time: 18:00 for 18:30 start 

Venue: CIPD Manning House, Third Floor, 22 Carlisle Place, London SW1P 1JA

Speaker(s): Anna Shields and Alex Efthymiades, Directors of Consensio

Registration:  http://www.cipd.co.uk/branch/clondon/_events/howtoembedmediation-21092009.htm

About Consensio

Consensio is a leading provider of conflict management and workplace mediation solutions to organisations across the UK.  Consensio believes that each client is unique and its team of experts pride themselves in creating and delivering cost-effective bespoke solutions to help manage workplace conflict.  Consensio works in partnership with its clients and offers an array of services, including: mediation, coaching, consultancy and accredited training.  Consensio’s customers span small organisations to FTSE 100 enterprises, in the private, public and third sectors across the UK.   For more information about Consensio, please visit: www.consensiopartners.co.uk 

Press Contact:  marketing@consensiopartners.co.uk or +44(0)7912 283974

Consensio’s Impressive Mid-Year Results Supports Trend Towards the Use of Workplace Mediation (26 August 2009)

London, 26 August 2009 – Consensio, a leading conflict management and workplace mediation provider, today announces a highly profitable first half of 2009. This supports the trend towards the use of mediation and conflict resolution in the workplace.

The increased demand for mediation services and training is a result of the changes to the Employment Act which came into force in April of this year.   The new ACAS Code of Practice encourages organisations to resolve disputes in-house and at an early stage. The use of either internal or external mediation is one method of conflict resolution identified in the Code.   HR professionals have responded positively to this new mandate and as a result, have shown an increased interest in working with Consensio, either as an external mediation or accredited training provider.  

“Consensio has provided me with a learning experience that surpassed my expectations. They are focused on delivering mediation training that meets the delegates’ different learning needs. It is clear that both Directors are very professional and experienced workplace mediators who convey learning with ease and are passionate about delegates becoming confident workplace mediators,” said Helena Rolan Pitcher, HR of Drax Power.

Since the start of 2009, Consensio has increased its customer base by 420% and has continued to support its existing client base of private, public and third sector clients with a variety of training and mediation services. 

“We are pleased to see that organisations across the UK have greeted the new Employment Act with interest and have responded positively to the use of mediation to resolve workplace conflict.  Due to   the increase in demand, Consensio has added additional dates for our accredited mediation course and we will launch a new course curriculum in the fall, which will be full of exciting courses to meet our clients’ needs,” said Alex Efthymiades, Director of Consensio.  

For more information about Consensio, please visit www.consensiopartners.co.uk

About Consensio

Founded in 2007, Consensio is a leading provider of conflict management and workplace mediation solutions to organisations across the UK.  Consensio believes that each client is unique and its team of experts pride themselves in creating and delivering cost-effective bespoke solutions to help manage workplace conflict.  Consensio works in partnership with its clients and offers an array of services including: mediation, coaching, consultancy and accredited training.  Consensio's customers span small organisations to FTSE 100 enterprises, in both the private and public sectors across the UK.   For more information about Consensio please visit www.consensiopartners.co.uk.

Press Contact:  marketing@consensiopartners.co.uk or +44(0)7912 283974 

Consensio Introduces Intensive Summer School Mediation Training   (30 June 2009)

London, June 30, 2009 - Consensio, a leading conflict management and workplace mediation provider, today announces an intensive summer school accredited training course in mediation.

Across the UK, the calm before the storm usually occurs in the summer months, as businesses prepare for their busiest time of year.  The summer school intensive session was designed to allow HR professionals the opportunity to increase their skill set in a shorter period of time and at a more flexible time of year, to help them build their HR strategies for prosperous year-end results.

Workplace mediation is currently at the forefront of the new Employment Act, which encourages organisations to resolve disputes in-house, with a focus on early resolution.   Training in mediation has now become an essential practice for all organisations, as a specific skill set is required to successfully support parties in reaching a resolution to their conflict. 

“Some professionals believe they are mediators simply because they work in HR.  However, without the proper knowledge and skills acquired through mediation training, conflict in the workplace will continue to be unresolved, leaving organisations to deal with long-term issues.  We have added the intensive summer session to Consensio’s course curriculum based on the demand from busy executives who are looking for swift, professional and accredited mediation training to solve workplace conflict,” said Alex Efthymiades, Director of Consensio.

The summer school session is scheduled for 10-14 August 2009 and will be delivered in central London.  The aim of the one-week intensive course is to provide an accreditation in workplace mediation to both in-house mediators and independent consultants.  

To register for the summer school session, please visit: http://www.consensiopartners.co.uk/Training/AccreditedCourses/

About Consensio

Founded in 2007, Consensio is a leading provider of conflict management and workplace mediation solutions to organisations across the UK.  Consensio believes that each client is unique and its team of experts pride themselves in creating and delivering cost-effective bespoke solutions to help manage workplace conflict.  Consensio works in partnership with its clients and offers an array of services including: mediation, coaching, consultancy and accredited training.  Consensio's customers span small organisations to FTSE 100 enterprises, in both the private and public sectors across the UK.   For more information about Consensio please visit www.consensiopartners.co.uk.

Press Contact:  marketing@consensiopartners.co.uk or +44(0)7912 283974 

Consensio Addresses Concerns over Workplace Mediation in New Industry Review (3 June 2009)

London, June 3, 2009 - Consensio, a leading conflict management and workplace mediation provider, today announces the release of a new industry review entitled ‘Mediation: A Welcome Guest or Potential Pest?’

The review was developed in response to the questions and concerns relating to the new ACAS Code of Practice on Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures,   which came into force in April 2009, and which recommends the use of mediation to solve workplace conflict. 

Over the past six months, Consensio, a member of the Civil Mediation Council, has fielded many questions about workplace mediation during their seminars and training sessions.   Due to the persistence of questions relating to the cost of mediation, the required skill level of mediators and the actual success rate of mediation, Consensio has developed an industry review to tackle these questions for a wider audience.  

“Change brings about a feeling of apprehension and the new Employment Act is no exception.  With so many questions surrounding the use of mediation, we wanted to provide UK organisations with the information they require to make an informed decision when dealing with grievance and disciplinary issues.  We defined eight main areas of concern which are discussed and clarified in our latest review,” said Anna Shields, Director of Consensio.

To download the industry review, ‘Mediation: A Welcome Guest or Potential Pest?’ please visit: www.consensiopartners.co.uk. 

About Consensio

Founded in 2007, Consensio is a leading provider of conflict management and workplace mediation solutions to organisations across the UK.  Consensio believes that each client is unique and its team of experts pride themselves in creating and delivering cost-effective bespoke solutions to help manage workplace conflict.  Consensio works in partnership with its clients and offers an array of services including: mediation, coaching, consultancy and accredited training.  Consensio's customers span small organisations to FTSE 100 enterprises, in both the private and public sectors across the UK.   For more information about Consensio please visit www.consensiopartners.co.uk.

Press Contact:  marketing@consensiopartners.co.uk or +44(0)7912 283974 

Consensio Hosts Series of Complimentary Mediation Seminars in Response to New Employment Act (26 March 2009)

London, March 26, 2009 – Consensio, a leading conflict management and workplace mediation provider, today announces they will be hosting a series of complimentary seminars to promote early dispute resolution, a key issue mandated in the new Employment Act, effective April 6^th, 2009.

“The current economy has left HR departments to deal with a number of challenges within their organisations – one of which is conflict among staff.   Rather than resorting to a lengthy claim, the new law stipulates that companies should resolve conflict internally and at an early stage. Employers will be encouraged to offer alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, including mediation.  Consensio wants to help HR professionals understand mediation procedures and bring them up to speed on the important changes that will replace the current statutory disciplinary and grievance procedures,” said Anna Shields, Director Consensio.

The seminar, entitled Mediation and the Employment Act, will feature presentations from Consensio, and recognised specialist in employment law, Pamela Sellman.  Sellman is an accredited mediator and qualified barrister/attorney in both the UK and US. She is also LLM Course Director and a Principal Lecturer at Kingston University.   The lunchtime event will provide an overview of the new Employment Act, explain the changing role of mediation in the UK workplace and demonstrate how mediation can be introduced into an organisation. 

The first seminar of the series will be taking place on Tuesday, March 31^st, in central London, from 11:30 a.m. to 14:00 p.m. The seminar will allow HR professionals to network over lunch and pose questions to the speakers in an informal setting.  The following session will take place on Tuesday April 28^th. Additional sessions will be announced shortly on Consensio’s website www.consensiopartners.co.uk

To book your place on one of these complimentary seminars, please contact Consensio on 0207 831 0254 or info@consensiopartners.co.uk.

About Consensio

Founded in 2007, Consensio is a leading provider of conflict management and workplace mediation solutions to organisations across the UK.  Consensio believes that each client is unique and its team of experts pride themselves in creating and delivering cost-effective bespoke solutions to help manage workplace conflict.  Consensio works in partnership with its clients and offers an array of services including: mediation, coaching, consultancy and accredited training.  Consensus’s customers span small organisations to FTSE 100 enterprises, in both the private and public sectors across the UK.   For more information about Consensio please visit www.consensiopartners.co.uk.

Press Contact:  marketing@consensiopartners.co.uk or +44(0)7912 283974

Consensio to Present Live Mediation Demonstration at the CIPD Forum to Reduce Workplace Conflict and Disputes (24 February 2009)

London, February 24, 2009 – Consensio, a leading conflict management and workplace mediation provider, today announces they will be speaking at the upcoming CIPD special interest forum for mediation on Tuesday March 3^rd, 2009, in London.

The current economic climate has led to a significant rise in employment tribunal claims, and many employers are looking for new ways to solve employment disputes and conflict internally.  The CIPD special interest forum, entitled Mediation – Reducing Workplace Conflict and Disputes, is designed to teach HR professionals methods to meet these challenges, without having to resort to a long and costly tribunal process.  The event will include presentations and Q&A sessions from top industry experts and provide attendees the opportunity to network and share mediation techniques among like-minded HR professionals.

Consensio, a dedicated organisation known for their success in resolving workforce conflict will be closing the morning event with a session titled Agreeing to Agree.   During a unique and interactive live case study, Consensio will delve into the psychology of workplace conflict, explain the benefits of mediation and illustrate how organisations of all sizes and from all industries can solve workplace conflict with bespoke mediation techniques.   The presentation will be followed by a Q&A where Alex Efthymiades, co-founder and director of Consensio, will share expert tips with delegates to improve their mediation skills.

“The last year has seen a serious increase in employment tribunal claims and the CIPD has recognised a real need to educate the HR community about the benefits of mediation.  We are looking forward to participating in this educational forum and hope to facilitate the challenges facing HR departments,” said Alex Efthymiades, co-founder and director, Consensio. 

For more information about the event please visit www.consensiopartners.co.uk

About Consensio

Founded in 2007, Consensio is a leading provider of conflict management and workplace mediation solutions to organisations across the UK.  Consensio believes that each client is unique and its team of experts pride themselves in creating and delivering cost-effective bespoke solutions to help manage workplace conflict.  Consensio works in partnership with its clients and offers an array of services including: mediation, coaching, consultancy and accredited training.  Consensio’s customers span small organisations to FTSE 100 enterprises, in both the private and public sectors across the UK. For more information about Consensio please visit www.consensiopartners.co.uk

Press Contact:  marketing@consensiopartners.co.uk or +44(0)7912 283974