What’s the Cause of Increasing Workplace Conflict?

The figures reveal a rise in both grievances and disciplinary issues. One broad interpretation of the figures may indicate that Organisations continue to grapple with the ongoing post-pandemic challenges of managing Employee expectations around hybrid and remote working.

Digging into the figures more closely, over half of the Organisations surveyed reported ineffective line management as a leading cause of disputes. This number suggests that Employees may be experiencing issues with their immediate superiors regarding clarity of instructions, support in the workplace, or fair treatment.

In addition, just over half of Employers also identified a lack of effective performance management as a significant cause of conflict and dispute. Relevant considerations included how performance is monitored, how feedback is given, and how Employee’s objectives are set and evaluated.

The third most cited cause of conflict and disputes was poor communication which was cited by 43% of Employers. Ineffective communication leads to unclear expectations, insufficient information sharing, or misinterpretations between management and staff or amongst coworkers.

Impact on HR

As Irish workplaces are experiencing a continuing uptick in conflict and disputes, there is a growing pressure on HR departments and people managers to resolve these difficult interpersonal scenarios.

While a certain level of conflict is to be expected in the workplace, failure to deal with Employee conflict leads to a range of negative business outcomes like low Employee morale, high turnover and low retention. As Employee expectations around flexible working practices continue to evolve, Managers and HR professionals will need to remain responsive to Employee concerns and identify the appropriate level of intervention needed to defuse workplace clashes or misunderstandings and seek to resolve workplace conflict before it escalates.