According to a new study, employees are hesitant to resolve work disputes because they fear confrontation.
According to WorkNest, a law firm that deals with employment issues, 43% of employers are afraid of conflict escalating.
Nearly a quarter (24%) blamed a lack in training or skills for conflict management. A fifth attributed the problem to resistance to change.
WorkNest’s survey, which included 700 HR professionals and employers, found that only a small percentage (8%) felt there was little organisational support in conflict management. 5% thought that policies were unclear.
WorkNest discovered that daily confrontations affected morale most. 38% of respondents cited personality conflicts as the main cause.
A quarter of respondents (26%) said that performance-related disputes were a problem, while 22% cited conflict between managers and their staff.
Only 10% of respondents said formal complaints of bullying or bias were frequent.
Alex Holmes, employment law advisor at WorkNest said that if handled properly, “it could actually de-escalate the situation and ensure that a minor conflict doesn’t become more serious”.
The knock-on effect of failing to effectively resolve minor conflicts is severe. This will affect employee productivity, retention and wellbeing as well as increase absences. It could also put businesses at risk of legal liability due to formal complaints.
WorkNest’s findings echo those of , which was published by the CIPD in 2013. It found that only a quarter of employees who experienced conflict felt it had been resolved.
WorkNest found that one in five HR professionals surveyed felt “very unsupported by senior leaders” in their efforts to manage conflict.
Wendy Lockhart, HR Consultant at the company, said that this requires a change in culture, rather than a policy change.
She said: “HR should tackle conflict avoidance and encourage effective resolutions of these low-level personal conflicts.
This can be achieved by upskilling managers, going beyond the policy, promoting a resolution mentality with employees, normalising informal and preventative dialogue, and ensuring senior leaders understand their role as models of correct behaviour.
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