A report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), which is based on the experiences of more than 2,000 employers and 5,000 employees, found a clear gap between employers’ trust in their policies and procedures and positive outcomes for employees.
The findings have highlighted the need for employers to have a comprehensive conflict resolution framework that emphasises the importance of early action.
Unresolved complaints
Seven in 10 (70 per cent) employers have said their organisation has effective procedures for resolving interpersonal conflict. However, this confidence did not come through in the employee survey findings.
Of the employees who experienced conflict in the last 12 months, only 36 per cent said it has been fully resolved. For this reason, organisations need to assess the effectiveness of their conflict management procedures and develop a greater awareness of employees’ experiences of unfair treatment like bullying and harassment.
Disciplinary action (43 per cent) and grievance procedures (41 per cent) are the most common methods that employers said their organisations used to deal with workplace conflict over the past year.
However, the report noted that procedures like these are often drawn out, adding to employees’ stress and increasing cost to the organisation. The CIPD has urged organisations to consider using more informal and early routes to resolution, where appropriate, to deescalate the situation.
Rachel Suff, senior employee relations adviser at the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, said, “Employers must ensure that conflict, including allegations of bullying and harassment, is investigated promptly and fairly.
“Having an anti-bullying and harassment policy that outlines a robust approach to inappropriate behaviour can help to prevent conflict and enable people to speak up. This will help to create a culture where every individual feels able to challenge unfair treatment.”
People managers: the cause or cure?
Around three-quarters of employers said line managers would resolve conflict effectively (75 per cent) and at an early stage (78 per cent), but this view is undermined by the finding that nearly half (49 per cent) admitted managers can cause conflict in their teams, rising to 61 per cent in public sector organisations.
Employees were generally positive about line managers, with more than three-quarters agreeing their manager is supportive if they have a problem (77 per cent), treated them fairly (78 per cent), and respected them as a person (79 per cent).
However, of those who stated they experience barriers to managing conflict, employers identified line management confidence in challenging inappropriate behaviour (38 per cent), in addition to lack of role-modelling by senior leaders (38 per cent), as the most common. This reinforces the need for more organisations to invest in people management skills, considering three in 10 organisations (30 per cent) do not provide it.
Rachel added, “Managers at all levels should be trained to manage people effectively and role model the right behaviours. People managers, senior leaders and HR professionals must work together to drive cultural change.”