27th March 2009:

During February 2009, the Civil Mediation Council (CMC) election for members of the 2009-2011 Board took place. The Civil Mediation Council is an unincorporated association of Members established in April 2003 by the United Kingdom’s mediation providers, independent mediators, leading academic, legal professional bodies and government departments. As part of this process, Globis Ltd was elected to the CMC Board. Clive Lewis, Founder and Managing Director of Globis,  said ” I am honoured that our colleagues have voted for Globis to form part of the CMC Board at such an exciting stage in the development of mediation in the UK”.

CMC Chair, Sir Henry Brooke, said “Mediation is now an increasingly important way of resolving workplace disputes. I am therefore delighted to welcome Clive Lewis and Globis Ltd to the CMC Board. They will lead for us on workplace matters”. For more information on the work of the CMC, please click here www.civilmediation.org.

Notes for editors:

• Following the 2007 Gibbons Review, action has been taken to repeal the 2004 Statutory Grievance and Discipline process from 6th April 2009. Employers will now be encouraged to pursue early resolution of workplace disputes, thereby avoiding recourse to employment tribunals.
• Latest research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) indicates that the cost of conflict at work to the UK economy is £24bn per year. In some cases, line managers are spending around 20% of their time managing issues associated with conflict.
• The CMC workplace mediation provider registration scheme will be the main source for users of employment related mediation services to access bona-fide reputable mediation providers across Great Britain.

July 1, 2009 to July 3, 2009

July 9, 2009 to July 10, 2009

The National Employment and Workplace Mediation Certificate is our flagship course and the UK’s benchmark for employment and workplace mediation training.  During 2009 we will train over 500 people to become accredited mediators. To view more information and to book a place on our December course please click here: http://www.globis.co.uk/services/ld-empandworkplacemediationcertificate.php

This course is also available on an in-house basis, subject to a minimum of 4 delegates attending. Please contact us for more informaion about our in-house courses.

18 June 2009: Clive Lewis, Founder and MD of Globis has just returned from speaking at an International Mediation Conference in Algeria. The conference was attended by around 400 members of the Algerian judiciary and legal profession. The Ministry of Justice in Algeria is embarking on a major launch of mediation. Britain has a worldwide reputation for being one of the leaders in the field of establishing good practice mediation principles. Clive Lewis was invited by the Algerian government to present on ‘Workplace Mediation – The British Perspective’. The other presenter from Britain was a Judge who spoke about how Court Based mediation is being adopted for civil disputes.  

Other experts were invited from France, Lebanon, Switzerland, Morocco and Spain.

Clive Lewis spoke about the background to the legislative changes of April 6^th 2009. He also spoke about the compelling business case that is convincing organisations across Britain to embrace the principles of mediation. Other topics covered at the conference included:

·         The legal and regulatory framework of mediation in

·         A sociological and historical approach to mediation

·         Mediation in European Common Law, principles and ethics

·         The role of the lawyer in the promotion of mediation

·         Training and specialisation of the mediator

·         Mediation in intellectual property disputes

Jack Fallow, Globis Director said ” I am delighted that Clive was invited to Algeria to talk about the exciting developments in the field of mediation in Britain. It is great news that countries such as Algeria turn to Britain for advice and guidance on implementing good practice mediation principles”.

The British Ambassador to Algeria, Andrew Henderson, also attended the conference.

The Definitive Guide to Workplace Mediation

15 July 2009: The widely-acclaimed Definitive Guide to Workplace Mediation and Managing Conflict at Work, written by Clive Lewis continues to be a sought after book. Last week, a large order for the book came in from South Africa. The book has also been ordered by practitioners in America, Germany and the Isle of Man.

Lord Hastings of Scarisbrick CBE , International Director of Diversity and Citizenship at KPMG says “This book is timely. As organisations look for opportunities to save money and build trust, this book offers great advice”.

 

Alison Brimelow, President of the European Patent Office says: “This book is an excellent guide: ground in reality. Understanding that mediation and conflict resolution are effective techniques can be learned the hard way or with help like this. I wish it had been available earlier in my career”.

In the UK, copies of the book have also been purchased by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The book is available in the Departments resource centre as a reference guide that can be accessed by the Departments staff.

 To order your copy of the book, please click here:

Workplaces are changing. Strategies for building relationships and preventing conflict at work are gaining importance.

23 July 2009: An article entitled ‘How to solve workplace disputes’ is being featured on the IOD’s website. Written by Clive Lewis, the article highlights the importance for businesses to take the issue of conflict management and mediation seriously. 

To view the article, please click here

(This link will take you directly to the Institute of Directors website).

Date: 14th July 2010: Harvey Nash’s Leadership Services division extends its consultancy offering to help clients deal with potentially tough times ahead

Recent research suggests that workplace conflict currently costs the UK £24bn per year and many line managers spending upwards of one day per week on conflict resolution. With potentially difficult economic times ahead, the demand for conflict management is likely to grow and UK businesses are increasingly looking for creative, pragmatic and cost effective options for building relationships at work.

Harvey Nash Leadership Services – the division of the global recruitment group that helps leading companies develop high performance leadership teams – has entered a new strategic partnership with Globis aimed at helping companies resolve major conflicts.

Globis has helped organisations save tens of millions of pounds by using the principles of mediation. Service areas include:

• Setting up an in-house mediation scheme
• Appointing a mediator
• Mediation training
• Outsourcing a mediation service

 Dr. Noorzaman Rashid, Head of Leadership Services and Government and Public Sector Team at Harvey Nash said ” We are delighted to be able to support our clients with such a strategically important area of their business. Globis are the UK’s leading provider in this field so it is a fantastic development for Harvey Nash Leadership Services and our clients. We look forward to a prosperous relationship.”

 Clive Lewis, Director at Globis said “I am delighted to be working with Harvey Nash on this exciting strategic development. Mediation is proving to be a valuable tool for organisations that recognise the importance of positive relationships in the workplace. I look forward to building a strong partnership with Harvey Nash and helping our clients realise the benefits that come from working with mediation and other conflict management solutions”.   

 About Harvey Nash:

Harvey Nash is a global professional services organisation focused on talent management and committed to delivering the best talent and related services through 35 offices worldwide. The company has three dedicated service lines; Executive Search and Leadership Services; Professional Recruitment and Outsourcing. A trusted advisor to some of the world’s leading businesses, turnover in 2009 was £400million. Harvey Nash professionals pursue the highest levels of integrity and quality in providing a unique portfolio of services.

About Globis:

Globis is a specialist provider of workplace mediation services and works with many of the largest public and private organisations in Europe. Globis director, Clive Lewis, is the author of ‘The Definitive Guide to Workplace Mediation’ and Board member of the Civil Mediation Council. Globis recently trained 16 mediators at East Sussex County Council leading to the implementation of an in-house mediation scheme which has delivered cost savings of almost £1m in just over one year and recently won a recent tender to set up an in-house mediation scheme at Queen Mary, University of London.

For further information please contact Euan Frizzell at Harvey Nash on +44 (0)20 7333 1813 or email euan.frizzell@harveynash.com or Helen Robinson at Globis on + 44 (0) 330 100 0809 or Helen.robinson@globis.co.uk  

Ends>>>>

Date: 6th July 2010: Every 5 years, the Survey of Employment Tribunal Applications (SETA) is published. A few weeks ago, the latest survey was published and it covers the period up to the end of December 2008. The report runs to more than 250 pages. Here are some of the highlights from 2 of the categories – “characteristics of the parties” and “mediation”.

Characteristics of the parties

• 60% of claimants were men
• 82% of discrimination cases were brought by women
• 86% of defendants were white although only 15% were white in race discrimination cases
• ET applicants were more likely to be aged over 45
• The median pay for claimants in full time permanent positions was £20,000
• 25% of claimants were a member of a trade union
• 27% of cases were from organisations with fewer than 25 employees, 9% had 25-49 employees, 19% 50-249 employees and 45% with 250 or more employees
• The private sector accounted for 72% of ET cases, the public sector 19% and the non-profit sector 8%

Mediation

• 23% of claimants reported that before they put in the ET application someone suggested that they should use mediation, compared with 15% of employers
• 9% of claimants had undertaken mediation
• The most commonly cited reason for not taking part in mediation was that the other party did not want to
• The initial discussion about the possibility of the use of mediation was most common in large employers and those in the private sector
• 27% of employers used an in-house mediator
• Amongst claimants trade union/staff association members were less likely to say that they would use mediation in the future, as were those aged 55 or over

Finally, 36% of claimants said that the case had caused them stress and depression.

The full report can be viewed here.  

July 19, 2010

8:30 AM to 10:00 AM

Date: 19^th July

Time: 8.30 for a 9.00 start

Duration: 1 hour

Location: London

Cost: FREE

Speakers: Teresa Heys and Natalie Beswetherick OBE (Chartered Institute of Physiotherapy)

Modern business demands high quality performance, short response times, long working hours and heavy workloads.

• Stress affects one in five of the working population
• It is now the single biggest cause of sickness absence in the UK
• It costs UK industry £3.7 billion each year
• Four out of five European managers are concerned about stress in the workplace

It makes sense to take the best care of your employees and their psychological needs – not just to comply with legislation, but also to inspire greater engagement, efficiency and productivity. Globis are delivering this free briefing session to give you the facts on managing stress within your organisation.

The Globis briefing session will cover:

• Why organisations should manage stress and wellbeing from humanitarian, economic, legal and publicity perspectives
• Recent cases of work related stress
• The legal position, including the Hatton propositions and brief case law
• Health and Safety Executive’s Management Standards risk assessment approach
• Why ‘buy-in’ from all involved in the organisation is important
• The relevance of policies which cover all aspects of managing stress and wellbeing
• The importance of training for all managers and employees
• The correlation between stress and musculoskeletal problems
• How Globis can help with policies, training, stress and wellbeing risk assessments and one-to-one stress management for specific events

A light breakfast buffet will be served.

To ensure your place at this session please call on 0330 100 0809 or email Helen.robinson@globis.co.uk

26th May 2010: In the summer of 2010, Clive Lewis will be conducting a new series of Mediation Master Class sessions. You should register for these sessions if you want to learn more about the world of mediation, improve your mediation skills, want to become a mediator or want to set up or enhance your own mediation practice. The sessions focus mainly on workplace and employment mediation but will also touch on other important areas of mediation.  

The Master Class series will be split into 4 different sessions. These are:

1. Mediation in the broader context

2. Overview of conflict and working with difficult parties

3. Complexity and overcoming blockages in mediation

4. How to set up or enhance your own mediation practice

For more information and to register please click here:

The Mediation Master Class dates are July 6, 20 and September 17 and 28.

Globis’ Award Winning In-House Mediation Scheme

7th April 2010: Yesterday evening, the Equality Act 2010 passed its final stages in the House of Commons and has been passed for Royal Assent. It is expected to come into force in October 2010.

Please click here for a useful article that summarises the proposed changes to the existing law brought in by the Act.  

24th March 2010: Globis is growing and is looking to recruit an Operations Director and Mediation Advisor to the team. For more information and to download a copy of the role profiles please click here  

News release

23 March 2010:

Globis has been selected to provide training for staff selected to become in-house mediators and will support the College’s implementation plans. One of the UK’s leading universities, Queen Mary, University of London recognises the role mediation can play in helping to build better relationships in the workplace. The extension of the mediation scheme has been developed as a partnership between HR, unions and staff. 

Sara Corcoran, Head of HR Strategy and Change said “We look forward to working closely with Globis as we expand our capacity for internal mediation and strive to foster a culture of alternative dispute resolution”.

Clive Lewis, Globis director said “It is an honour and privilege to be selected to support such a prestigious organisation. We are looking forward to helping Queen Mary University of London achieve some of the many benefits that come from working with mediation. We have a track record of helping some of the largest organisations in the UK in this area and are excited about partnering with Queen Mary, University of London in a similar way”.

Mediation is being embraced by an increasing number of leading organisations across the UK. The repeal of the statutory dispute procedures on 6^th April 2009 is helping this. The business case for mediation is compelling. Research indicates the cost of conflict at work in the UK as £24bn. Organisations working with mediation have been able to demonstrate significant savings in relation to money and management time.  

For more details visit www.qmul.ac.uk and www.globis.co.uk

Note to Editors:

About Queen Mary University

• Queen Mary, University of London is one of London and the UK’s leading research-focused higher education institutions with some 15,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students.
• Amongst the largest of the colleges of the University of London, Queen Mary’s 3,000 staff deliver world class degree programmes and research across 21 academic departments and institutes, within three sectors: Science and Engineering, Humanities, Social Sciences and Laws: and the school of Medicine and Dentistry.
• Queen Mary is ranked 11^th in the UK according to the Guardian analysis of the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, and has been described as ‘the biggest star among the research-intensive institutions’ by the Times Higher Education.
• The college has a strong international reputation, with around 20 per cent of students coming from over 100 countries.
• Queen Mary has an annual turnover of £220 million, research income worth £61 million, and generates employment and output worth £600 million to the UK economy each year.
• Queen Mary, as a member of the 1994 Group of research-focused universities, has made a strategic commitment to the highest quality of research, but also to the best possible educational, cultural and social experience for its students. The college is unique amongst London’s universities in being able to offer a completely integrated residential campus, with a 2,000-bed award-winning Student Village on its Mile End campus.

About Globis  

• Globis is one of the UK’s leading national providers of workplace mediation services.
• Globis director, Clive Lewis, is the author of ‘The Definitive Guide to Workplace Mediation’.
• Globis is a Board member of the Civil Mediation Council.
• Globis recently trained 16 mediators at East Sussex County Council leading to the implementation of an in-house mediation scheme which has delivered cost savings of just under £1m in just over one year. East Sussex County Council was on the short list for the CIPD 2009 awards for the introduction of the scheme.

A new ACAS code of practice introducing the concept mediation for the first time was introduced in April 2009

For more information or to request an interview call Helen Robinson on 0303 100 0809 or email Helen.robinson@globis.co.uk

Ends.

Download Clive Lewis’ Speech to Members of the Algerian Judiciary – June 2009 (PDF)

8th March: The next Globis webinar is scheduled for 10.00am on 25th March 2010. The webinar will look at the role that mediation can play in UK places of work and will include presentations from the CIPD and EEF. To register, please click here: