This document discusses workplace conflict in the UK. Some key points: 1) Two in five UK employees experienced some form of interpersonal conflict in the last year, whether an isolated incident or ongoing difficult relationship. 2) Conflict negatively impacts employee stress, motivation, productivity, and can lead to unworkable relationships, absence from work, job changes, discipline issues, resignations, or legal disputes in rare cases. 3) While most conflicts are resolved informally, mediation could benefit many more employees but is underutilized, with only 1.5% of those experiencing conflict using it in the last year. Training managers in conflict resolution and mediation skills is seen as an important way to better address

1. Getting under the skin
of workplace conflict
Jonny Gifford
@jonnygiff

3. In the last 12 months, have you had…
• an isolated dispute or incident of conflict
• an ongoing difficult relationship
…with your line manager, a direct report, an indirect
report, a colleague in your team etc

4. Interpersonal conflict
in the last year
Ongoing
difficult relationships
Isolated clashes
or disputes
38%
29% 28%

5. What do we count as ‘conflict’?
Lack of
respect
Bullying,
intimidation,
harassment
Refusing to
cooperate
Shouting &
heated
arguments
Verbal abuse
or insult
Physical abuse
or threat
61%
4%
22%
27% 25%
22%

6. How does conflict impact?
Stress Motivation
Productivity
Unworkable
relns
Absence
Change
job
Discipline Resign
Legal
dispute
Dismissal
2 in 5 cases
1 in 50 or less
1 in 20
1 in 7

7. Gender differences

8. Organisational differences

9. How do we respond to conflict?
Let it go…
37%
25%
23%
26%
9% (formal
procedure)

10. Anyone for mediation?
• 1.5% of employees experiencing conflict used
mediation in the last year
• 13% say they would have benefitted from it
• 46% of all employees believe mediation is effective
• 29% of employers have used mediation in the last
year

11. The employer
perspective…

12. Shift in power balance due to ET fees
Fees are ‘a substantial deterrent to
bringing flaky claims.’
‘We don’t exactly call the employee’s bluff,
but if we believe there is no substance to
their claim we let them decide whether to
claim. We can always have a settlement
discussion later.’
(Assistant HR director, healthcare)

13. An opportunity for ADR
‘I think the statutory changes are broadly
positive, and the Government has
achieved what it set out to do. People are
more willing to think about their problem,
enter into discussion and settle.’
(HR director, small IT company)

14. What methods have employers
used in the last year? (%)

15. Mediation skills
‘We shall be doing mediation training …
because it will give good core skills to my
team. Mediation … is not appropriate in
every situation, but we … want to explore
what works.’
(HR director, global healthcare)

16. Specific L&D for line managers
‘The best way of helping to improve
conflict management would be to develop
bite-sized training for line managers with
three key messages that could be put
across in two hours.’
(assistant HR director, healthcare)

17. Some key points
• 2 in 5 UK employees experienced conflict in last year
• Impacts on wellbeing, motivation, productivity
• Micro organisations best environments
• Best resolution if directly address (formal or informal)
• Fertile ground for mediation but lack of access for
many
• Upskilling mgrs seen as key way forward (mediation
the new coaching?)
@jonnygiff