The Acas Podcast

In the latest episode of the Acas podcast, we talk to Susan Reilly and Emma Hughes from the Phoenix Group about setting up an employee forum.
They tell us why this method of hearing employee voice works for them, and how it has supported the organisation through change.

The conversation also covers:

How employee forum relationships differ from HR and trade unions
Forum structure
What the forum covers
Forum governance

Host:
Terry Duffy - Strategic Lead, Growth Partnership, Acas
Guests:
Susan Reilly - Head of Phoenix Employee Representation Forum
Emma Hughes - Communication and Engagement Consultant, Phoenix Employee Representation Forum

For more information about staff forums please visit our advice page: Using workplace forums to discuss important matters at work.
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In this episode of the Acas Podcast, Terry Duffy (Strategic Lead, Acas) sits down with Professor Richard Saundry (Principle Research Fellow, University of Westminster) to discuss the benefits of upskilling line manages and giving them the confidence to address conflict at the earliest possible stage with an informal conversation.

This is a must listen for anyone with line management responsibilities, HR practitioners and anyone with an interest in good workplace relations.

Further reading: Acas blog: Skilled Managers Productive Workplaces - Translating research into workplace practice that works

Training: Conflict management skills online course
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In this episode of the Acas Podcast, we’re joined by guest speakers, Professor Almuth McDowall, Professor of Organisational Psychology at Birkbeck University, and Jodie Hill, Managing Partner and founder of Thrive Law, for a deep dive discussion on neurodiversity in the workplace.

The conversation covers:

· What does it mean to be ‘neuro inclusive’?
· What the latest research tells us
· What workplaces can do to be more inclusive of neurodivergent individuals
· The role of line managers
· What small businesses can do
· Managing conflict, and much more…

Jodie will be speaking at the upcoming Acas conference - Resetting employment relations: building healthy workplaces to grow a strong economy, 15 May 2025, QEII, London.

For more information: view agenda | register

Presenter:

· Ruhel Ahmed - Senior Policy Adviser, Acas


Guidance: https://www.acas.org.uk/neurodiversity-at-work

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In this episode of the Acas Advice & Guidance podcast we talk to Angela Wright, Organisational Lead at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation about introducing mediation into the workplace.

Our conversation covers the benefits and challenges of introducing mediation and will be of interest to anyone involved with conflict resolution in the workplace or people managers.

For more information on how Acas can support you with workplace mediation please visit our mediation page on the Acas website.

Further reading: Acas blog - Making the case for mediation.
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In recent years, the number of disability discrimination claims going to employment tribunal has increased. What is causing this increase and what are the characteristics of these claims?

Julie Dennis, Head of Inclusive Workplace Policy at Acas is joined by Dr Martin Mitchell, Senior Researcher at the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) to discuss the latest research commissioned by Acas that takes a closer look at the lifecycle of a disability discrimination tribunal claims. They also discuss what organisations and people managers can do to better support colleagues with disabilities.

Guidance and support:

Disability at work | Flexible working

Further reading:

Research: Characteristics and drivers of disability discrimination claims
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