Workplace mediation has been used by HR for more than 25 years and is transformational for individuals.

This is true for those trained as mediators, who find its way of seeing people and problems new, exciting and compassionate; and those who’ve been through mediation and reached a resolution say they wish they had known about it earlier, or used it sooner.

A Stagnant Landscape

Yet workplaces themselves haven’t changed. The same kinds of conflict are common, there’s the same undercurrent of reliance on policies, and problems with bullying and harassment just don’t seem to go away no matter how many EDI courses are delivered. Employers face the same costs, the lost management time, the poor levels of engagement and low staff retention in 2024 as they did in 1994.

In other words, for all its practical value and potential to improve workplace cultures, the introduction of mediation hasn’t changed the landscape of Employee Relations in the UK. Why not?

Limited Use of Mediation

One obvious reason is that mediation isn’t used enough. It is still perceived as the last resort before formal action. Just as happens with problems with physical and mental health, the earlier the intervention, the easier the problem can be treated, the better the outcome. But mediation remains hard to access not only within organisations but – and usually for monetary reasons – via external providers.

This makes the use of mediation appear extra-ordinary, and creates a vicious circle of perceptions of it being an embarrassing process that signifies failure. When mediation is part of the usual way of doing things, of clearing the air and dealing with low-level disagreements, it’s a hugely important tool for building better relationships, trust and confidence. But too often it is only turned to for the most intractable and entrenched conflicts, and for every two cases which are successful, there is a mediation which was experienced by parties as intrusive, unhelpful, or indeed a continuation of bullying or harassment.

Nor is there a level playing field when it comes to access to workplace mediation. Employers in some sectors don’t believe it’s for them, preferring to move lower cost, “replaceable” employees sideways or out. Mediation has become, mostly, a benefit for white-collar employees in large public sector organisations, or within the public sector, where mediation is expected to undo the stresses and demands of life in the public sector.

The Need for Culture Change

The values and principles behind mediation – of benevolence and understanding, of support when things are tough for people —will bring about culture change, but only when pushed enough to wide exposure and experience.

The reality is that mediation helps individuals, most of the time, but it does not stop organisations and their cultures from being difficult, cut-throat and lacking in Psychological Safety. You can’t clear the air if the wider culture is rigid with politics, if there’s a reliance on a cycle of blame and punishment, or there’s only belief in formal disciplinary processes. Setting up a mediation call off contract, or training a team of mediators in house, does nothing to change a senior management style which is dysfunctional, or a toxic culture.

Building Responsibility and Empathy

Changing a culture means employees take responsibility for their day-to-day behaviours and what comes out of their mouths, they take responsibility for the impact they have on other people, they take responsibility for their own feelings- they demonstrate self-awareness, empathy, curiosity, and real listening.

People need to think about why and how they get into conflict, how they respond, what drives them and how they communicate. Offering workplace mediation provides the right approach and the opportunity but not what’s needed for lasting change, the change that makes for better places to work. Without a sense of benevolence, the courage to be honest, mediation services can end up reinforcing problems. It’s just used as another ‘out’ for toxic management.

Katherine Graham, founder of workplace relations specialist CMP.

Photo by Alena Darmel