Feuding coworkers make up around 50 percent of all grievances raised in the workplace, according to a new study from employment and HR consultancy firm WorkNest.
Workplace conflict is experienced across industries as workers experience more stress and become less tolerant of others.
Around four in 10 businesses said the workplace conflict stems from employees being less tolerant, while mental health and stress along with organizational change were also attributed as major drivers of the fights.
The WorkNest survey looked at more than 350 UK employers, and conflict between coworkers was the largest cause of complaints in the workplace. This was far higher than any issues regarding pay (9 percent), work-life balance (9 percent) or concerns over flexible working arrangements (5 percent).
In the United States, companies spend around 2.8 hours each week involved in conflict, leading to $359 billion in hours paid focused on conflict instead of productivity, according to a 2023 Pollack Workplace Conflict Report.
The report also found 60 percent of employees never received basic conflict management training in the workplace.
“It’s not a surprising statistic, clinically, due to the nature of many coworker relationships,” Alexandra Cromer, a licensed professional counselor at Thriveworks, told Newsweek.
“Coworker relationships can be intense and personal in nature due to the fact that you often spend 40 hours a week working closely together under high-stress situations and can develop vulnerable, close-knit relationships due to having to perform and exist under these conditions.”
Because you’re working under pressure with high expectations and the same people every day, conflict is bound to come up, Cromer said. But the issue is becoming more serious at many companies as well, with 37 percent of employers saying they’ve seen an increase in grievances over the past year.
There are many reasons that employees end up bickering at the office, and stress outside of the workplace is likely to in part rear its head within these workplace relationships.
“Workplace conflicts are common and can arise from a variety of factors, including differences in communication styles, conflicting goals, built-up hostility due to someone not doing their fair share, and unresolved interpersonal issues,” New York-based therapist Lin Sternlicht told Newsweek.
With many employees returning to office environments after months if not years of remote work, the increased conflict is more likely more apparent at companies that haven’t stressed interpersonal skills or trained managers in the best ways to resolve conflict.
Shifts in company policies, which have been common as companies return workers to the office, can lead to an increased number of conflicts. Inflation and higher cost of living can also trigger higher levels of stress, leading to more work drama.
In terms of who workplace conflict is most likely to affect, line managers see their fair share, with 30 percent of grievances between employees and their direct line manager. A quarter of grievances concerned line managers not handling issues informally.
Other times, in 17 percent of grievances, the conflict involved two or more employees.
Certain employees were also far more likely to air their grievances to HR, with 13 percent of companies reporting they dealt with repeat grievances from the same person.
Conflict Resolution
When it comes to conflict resolution, companies that encourage employees to express their concerns in a safe space for discussions will rise above the rest, according to Sternlicht. It also pays to have several conflict resolution trainings and policies in place.
“The best ways to resolve conflict at work involves open communication, active listening, and empathy,” Sternlicht said.
Having clear expectations is also key in preventing any workplace hostility from occurring to begin with.
“Clear expectations enable each team member to understand fully what their role is within the team and can help avoid conflicts by clearly defining each person’s role,” Cromer said.
If there’s a clear structural hierarchy of organization, team members are also less likely to get upset with each other because they know exactly who’s in charge of what.
Communication styles are also a key component of making a team work at their best, with no fights popping up.
“Understanding how each member of your team communicates is critical to reducing and avoiding conflict,” Cromer said. “If conflict arises, having an understanding of your personal wants and needs as well as professional boundaries and preferences is also helpful.”
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.