Maryam Moshiri is a Chief Presenter at BBC News and presents 'The World Today'. She has been the face of business on the news channel and BBC World for 16 years.
Before chairing the Acas Conference on 15 May, I sat down with Acas Chief Conciliator Marina Glasgow, to discuss her role and some of the key issues affecting workplace relations.
Maryam Moshiri: Hi Marina, please introduce yourself and tell me how you came to work for Acas?
Marina Glasgow: I'm Marina Glasgow, Chief Conciliator for Acas. I facilitate talks between parties engaged in workplaces disputes. I tend to deal with higher profile cases and ones that have political implications.
I've been at Acas for nearly a quarter of a century. I've definitely learnt my trade!
I was previously at the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in a conflict zone in Bosnia. When I saw the Acas advert, I thought this job looks relevant!
Maryam: What's been the toughest moment in your career so far?
Marina: The toughest moments are when you feel unable to help. My biggest fear about the job is making the problem worse.
My team comes at a dispute with fresh eyes and a fresh perspective to help unlock the issue, to help people find a way through. Though sometimes it takes a while to get it to that point.
Maryam: What has working for Acas taught you about human nature?
Marina: It's taught me how emotionally involved people are in their job and how it forms their identity. That's why when things get difficult in the workplace, it can feel like an attack on them. That's the tricky bit to try to help them navigate so they can focus on the problem.
Maryam: Is it wrong to bring emotion to these kinds of negotiations?
Marina: We're all human. When you show emotion, it gives a real sense of how much this matters to you. That's what enables people to start to engage, build trust and focus on the problem. People often say it was a tough time, but they do things differently now, or that it's better now.
Maryam: You're the first female chief conciliator for Acas – what do you bring to the role your male predecessors didn't?
Marina: Perfume? Haha.
I don't bring anything different. This job is not about male or female. It's about an ability to connect with people.
Maryam: It's a difficult time now for employers, employees, for workplace culture and the future of work. What role does Acas have to play in making sense of these unpredictable times?
Marina: We've been helping people navigate challenging economic and political changes over the last half a century. This is just the current phase of change.
We facilitate conversations, explaining in clear and simple language so that people can understand and engage with an issue. Our job is to create that calmer environment for people to have proper dialogue about the issues that are worrying them or making business difficult.
We should recognise and learn from the past but not live there. This job is about keeping people facing forward, saying this has happened, and it's been difficult, and then take a step into a more positive future and fix the damage.
Maryam: I suppose what I'm getting at is that society, workplaces, politics, everything is so polarised now. There's a feeling that people don't listen to each other anymore. Do you think that has made Acas's role more complicated?
Marina: Things are more complicated than they've ever been – there are lots of external influences which have impacted how people respond to difficult situations.
We've got the influence of social media, which is playing a much greater part in disputes. There was no such thing as Facebook when I joined Acas! And people have been under a prolonged period of stress. We're still dealing with the fallout of covid.
And all that stress and anxiety is manifesting itself in workplace disputes.
Maryam: There is a lot of excitement surrounding the Acas conference. What do you hope attendees will get out of it?
Marina: I hope they leave with a sense of excitement and positivity about the future, but also a sense of realism.
I want people to realise that if they can pull together, have better dialogue, be honest and open with each other, we'll get through the challenges ahead. There isn't anything that can't be resolved if people sit down with a cup of coffee and maybe a Jaffa Cake …
Maryam: Or a tea and a digestive biscuit?
Marina: Yes! Everybody sitting down to talk openly and honestly about their fears or worries. About what can realistically be done, instead of shooting for the moon. If people leave the conference with a sense that better workplace relations are achievable if we pull together, then I think the conference is a success.
Maryam: I feel that's a lovely, natural way to end the interview. Thank you, Marina.