NHS manager awarded nearly £1m in racial discrimination case
Once again, we see a headline reminding us that employers can face unlimited payouts in discrimination cases. Yet many similar cases show that early action taken by the employer could have resolved the dispute and prevented it going to tribunal.
Marilyn Webster, CEO of Mediation Works says “While we can’t comment on this individual case – as we understand the NHS trust involved are appealing against the ruling – it’s nevertheless true that where discrimination occurs in the workplace there are usually underlying issues and employers need to tackle these. People may not be aware of the effect of their behaviour or that their processes and systems are potentially discriminatory. Also, formal procedures for resolving disputes may actually contribute to the situation spiralling out of control.”
“The good news is that mediation offers a number of tools to manage conflict where and when it arises, even where threatening, abusive or violent behaviour is alleged. That’s why it’s becoming increasingly common management practice in all sectors of the economy. It’s not just for discrimination cases – it can be effectively applied to contractual, customer and service user disputes as well.”
Mediation Works is one of the UK’s largest and longest established mediation practices and offers a wide range of services from one-off dispute resolution to training for managers, directors and HR professionals who want to use mediation techniques to build a better, more productive workplace.
Once again, we see a headline reminding us that employers can face unlimited payouts in discrimination cases. Yet many similar cases show that early action taken by the employer could have resolved the dispute and prevented it going to tribunal.
Marilyn Webster, CEO of Mediation Works says “While we can’t comment on this individual case – as we understand the NHS trust involved are appealing against the ruling – it’s nevertheless true that where discrimination occurs in the workplace there are usually underlying issues and employers need to tackle these. People may not be aware of the effect of their behaviour or that their processes and systems are potentially discriminatory. Also, formal procedures for resolving disputes may actually contribute to the situation spiralling out of control.”
“The good news is that mediation offers a number of tools to manage conflict where and when it arises, even where threatening, abusive or violent behaviour is alleged. That’s why it’s becoming increasingly common management practice in all sectors of the economy. It’s not just for discrimination cases – it can be effectively applied to contractual, customer and service user disputes as well.”
Mediation Works is one of the UK’s largest and longest established mediation practices and offers a wide range of services from one-off dispute resolution to training for managers, directors and HR professionals who want to use mediation techniques to build a better, more productive workplace.