Third of workplaces lack mediation skills for resolving conflict – Acas

A third (33%) of workplaces in Britain do not have staff with the necessary mediation skills to resolve workplace conflict, according to a survey from Acas.

Among small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), 40% of workers said their organisation lacked these skills.

Kevin Rowan, director of dispute resolution at Acas, said: “Mediation can be a great way of preventing and managing disputes informally without the need for potentially expensive formal action.

“It is not about judging who is wrong or who is right. 

“It is about bringing people in a disagreement together to agree on a way of working together.”

Rowan added: “Mediation is a valuable skill, but our survey shows that too few workers are confident their organisation has the skills to use it in a disagreement. 

“We encourage employers to make sure their managers have the confidence and skill to mediate successfully.”