The Acas Podcast

SMEs and mediation – what’s the problem?

In the latest Acas Podcast, Emma McClean, Acas Individual Dispute Resolution Manager, talks to Martin McTague, National Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, to discuss early, informal dispute resolution, such as mediation.

They also discuss the barriers small businesses face when introducing or using mediation in the workplace and the perception of Acas impartiality.

Guidance and support:

Acas - For more information and guidance about mediation please visit the Acas mediation webpage. 

FSB - For details about the legal and HR support available from FSB as part of its membership package, visit fsb.org.uk/membership.

Mediation Conference:

UK Mediation Conference 2024 –

25TH November 2024 | Congress Centre, London | 08:30-17:40

The UK’s leading conference bringing together Mediators, HR Professionals and Leaders.

This industry-leading event will examine the conflict journey, the evidence supporting the case for a less formal approach[CR1] , including examples on what works (and what doesn’t) and partial mediation skills and techniques.

To find out more visit our event page.

To book your place visit our event registration page.

Further reading: Making the case for mediation

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This is the first in a series of Acas advice and guidance podcasts. In this shorter format series, we will discuss the key-points of the latest employment relations issues and will sign-post to further advice, guidance, and support.

In this episode we will be discussing what you need to know about flexible-working – What it is, the main changes and what you need to do.

For more information visit the Acas flexible working page. 

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Inclusive workplaces – supporting women through menopause

In this episode we discuss how workplaces can better support women going through menopause. Helen Tomlinson discusses her role as the Governments first ever Menopause Employment Champion and Kate Nowicki gives her thoughts and observation from her role as Acas Menopause Champion.

We’re joined by:

·        Helen Tomlinson – Head of Talent (UK & Ireland) for the Adecco Group and Menopause Employment Champion

·        Kate Nowicki – Director of Dispute Resolution for Acas.

We discuss:

·        The role of allyship

·        Importance of workplace culture

·        Implementing a menopause policy

Transcript available here:

Episode resources:

Further reading.

Menopause at work guidance:

https://www.acas.org.uk/menopause-at-work

Menopause and the law:

https://www.acas.org.uk/menopause-at-work/menopause-and-the-law

Upcoming events:.

Conference: Living and working with menopause

https://obs.acas.org.uk/ViewEvent.aspx?EventId=207038

For podcast and event updates sign up to our free email newsletter. 

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In this episode we will explore how employers can support their staff with reasonable adjustments for mental health, creating a healthy work culture and demonstrating a commitment to good practice.

We’re joined by:

• Jo Yarker, Managing Partner at Affinity Health at Work
• Julie Denning, Managing Director of Working To Wellbeing and Chair of the Vocational Rehabilitation Association
• Francoise Woolley, Head of Mental Health and Wellbeing at Acas

We discuss:

• what reasonable adjustments for mental health are
• what the law says
• supporting health and wellbeing

Transcript available at www.acas.org.uk/podcast/mental-health-at-work-reasonable-adjustments

Episode resources:

Find out more about reasonable adjustments for mental health at work

You can also:

• read research and case studies about reasonable adjustments for mental health
• find training on mental health in the workplace

 Use our templates for:

• making a mental health reasonable adjustment request
• confirming mental health reasonable adjustments
• reviewing and monitoring reasonable adjustments for mental health

NICE guideline: Mental wellbeing at work

For podcast and event updates sign up to our free email newsletter

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In this episode, Acas Senior Learning and Development Manager Garry Besford is joined by Acas apprentices to discuss apprenticeships and how they can benefit the individual and the organisation.

We discuss:

·      What an apprenticeship is

·      The benefits of hiring an apprentice

·      What makes a good apprentice

Episode resources:

https://www.acas.org.uk/about-us/job-roles-at-acas/acas-apprenticeships

https://www.acas.org.uk/young-workers-apprentices-and-work-experience/working-hours-for-apprentices

https://www.gov.uk/become-apprentice

Read Ben Littlewood's blog where he shares an apprentice's guide to loneliness at work and what support Acas can offer: https://www.acas.org.uk/an-apprentices-guide-to-loneliness-at-work

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In this episode Acas Area Director, Paul Beard, President of the Society of Occupational Medicine, Shriti Pattani and the Managing Director of the Ape Group, Alfie Payne unpack the topic of sickness absence, offering managers first-hand advice and best practice on how they can better manage it.

We discuss:

• What makes a good absence policy
• When and how to utilise occupational health
• The mistakes managers often make when managing sickness absence
• How to support staff through the sickness absence process

Transcript available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/podcast/sickness-absence-how-employers-can-better-manage-sick-leave

Episode Resources:

Acas’s Absence from Work Guidance: https://www.acas.org.uk/absence-from-work

Society of Occupational Medicine: https://www.som.org.uk/work-and-health/information-employers

Training on sickness absence in the workplace here.

Read Dr Kabir Abraham Varghese (Society of Occupational Medicine) blog on referring employees to occupational health: https://www.acas.org.uk/helping-smes-understand-occupational-health

For podcast and event updates sign up to our free email newsletter

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It is important for employers to recognise and take steps to reduce work-related stress for their staff, encourage them staff to seek help at the earliest opportunity if they begin to experience stress.

We are joined by Rob McGreal, HSE Policy Lead for work-related stress and mental health and Francoise Woolley, Acas Head of Mental Health and Wellbeing.

We discuss:

·        What is work-related stress

·        Legal considerations

·        Supporting health and wellbeing 

Transcript available at https://www.acas.org.uk/podcast/work-related-stress-lifting-the-pressure-at-work

Episode resources:

Advice and guidance on how to support mental health and wellbeing at work: https://www.acas.org.uk/supporting-mental-health-workplace

Training on mental health in the workplace here

Caroline Bradshaw’s blog on ‘Make it routine to prevent work-related stress’: https://www.acas.org.uk/make-it-routine-to-prevent-work-related-stress

Kate Nowicki’s blog on ‘Handling change, avoid stress’: https://workright.campaign.gov.uk/blog-handle-change-avoid-stress

HSE stress and mental health at work advice and guidance: https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/

HSE Working Minds Campaign: https://workright.campaign.gov.uk/campaigns/working-minds/

The campaign is calling for a culture change across Britain’s workplaces where recognising and responding to the signs of stress becomes as routine as managing workplace safety.

For podcast and event updates sign up to our free email newsletter

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In this episode, Acas Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Julie Dennis, and co-founder of Utopia and Token Man, Daniele Fiandaca, explore the importance of allyship in the pursuit for gender equality in the workplace, and in wider society.

This episode will cover a variety of allyship-related topics, some of which include; what is allyship, how men and women engaging in and committing to allyship benefits everyone, and suggestions for what organisations and leaders can do to encourage allyship, and reduce gender disparities in their workplace.

Episode Resources

·      Equality and Diversity At Acas: https://www.acas.org.uk/about-us/equality-and-diversity-at-acas

·      Menopause and the Law: https://www.acas.org.uk/menopause-at-work/menopause-and-the-law

·      Menopause at Work: https://www.acas.org.uk/menopause-at-work

·      If Your Treated Unfairly at Work: https://www.acas.org.uk/if-youre-treated-unfairly-at-work

·      Acas Training: https://obs.acas.org.uk/

·     Token Man Website: https://www.tokenman.org/

·     Masculinity in the Workplace report: https://www.weareutopia.co/publications

To contact an Acas adviser for specialist support, get in touch

For podcast and event updates sign up to our free email newsletter

Transcript at https://www.acas.org.uk/podcast/allyship-positively-moving-the-conversation-of-gender-equality-forward

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Supporting the menopause at work is important for both employers and their staff. In this episode we will discuss how organisations can create a supportive and inclusive environment, and the considerations they should be aware of to help their staff with menopause at work.

We are joined by Haitham Hamoda, Clinical Lead for the menopause service at King's College Hospital and the immediate past Chair from the British Menopause Society, and Kate Nowicki, Director of Dispute Resolution at Acas.

We discuss:

·        How to handle menopause at work

·        Creating a supportive environment

·        Legal rights and considerations

Episode resources:

Advice and guidance on how to handle menopause at work: https://www.acas.org.uk/menopause-at-work

The British Menopause Society support and advice: https://thebms.org.uk

Simone Cheng’s blog on ‘Normalising the menopause’: https://www.acas.org.uk/normalising-the-menopause

Michelle Piertney’s blog on ‘Breaking the silence on the menopause’: https://www.acas.org.uk/breaking-the-silence-on-the-menopause

To contact an Acas adviser for specialist support, get in touch

Sign up to menopause and the workplace training

For podcast and event updates sign up to our free email newsletter

Transcript available at www.acas.org.uk/podcast/discussing-menopause-at-work

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Experiencing a bereavement can be a daunting and unsettling time. In this episode we discuss the support that organisations can give to help their staff with a bereavement, and the considerations they should be aware of, to provide a supportive and empathetic environment at work.

We are joined by Tracey Taylor-Huckfield, Director of People and Corporate Services at Sue Ryder, Andy Langford, Clinical Director at Cruse, and Lucie Garvin, Subject Matter Expert at Acas.

We discuss:

·        How to handle a bereavement at work

·        Supporting mental health and wellbeing

·        Legal rights and considerations 

Episode resources:

Advice and guidance on how to handle a bereavement at work: https://www.acas.org.uk/time-off-for-bereavement

Download our free bereavement policy template: https://www.acas.org.uk/example-bereavement-policy

Acas Senior Policy Adviser, Adrian Wakeling’s blog on bereavement: https://www.acas.org.uk/working-with-bereavement-a-personal-reflection

Sue Ryder online support: Online Bereavement Support | Sue Ryder

Cruse online support: When your employee is bereaved - Cruse Bereavement Support

To contact an Acas adviser for specialist support, get in touch

For podcast and event updates sign up to our free email newsletter

Transcript available at www.acas.org.uk/podcast

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