As any employer who has been involved in an employment dispute will know, those that end up before an Employment Tribunal can be costly, time consuming and distracting to resolve. And this is a key reason why more are looking to mediation to resolve disputes with employees, writes Adam Bernstein.

Firms that prefer to have their day in front of a judge can expect to pay for the privilege. Solicitors can charge from £3500+VAT and disbursements to handle an unlawful deduction of wages or breach of contract claim, more for an unfair dismissal claim, and even greater amounts to defend a discrimination claim. On top of that is management time and any awards made in favour of the claimant.