Managing Conflict at Work

The employment relations service ACAS has published a new booklet Managing Conflict at Work. The booklet is designed to help employers and employees better understand and manage conflict at work. It is a practical guide that covers the signs, causes, management and prevention of conflict as well as sources of help such as mediation or arbitration.

According to a recent report from CIPD, the average cost associated with employment tribunal claims comes to almost £20,000 per employing organisation each year. Employers spend an average of 15 days management time dealing with a claim. Many of these claims can start with situations such as employee problems not taken seriously, badly handled discipline interviews or misunderstandings between people – issues which if not dealt with, can become tribunal claims.

Our own experience is yet more evidence of a big problem. Our officers report a big increase in grievances and disciplinary prolems, often due to a lack of management training, failure to follow procedures and deliberately bad practice.

The ACAS booklet can be downloaded from the the ACAS website.