How to Handle Conflict and Tension Between Staff in the Workplace in England

Conflict and tension between staff can occur in the workplace, causing significant disruption and discomfort for employees. As an employer, you should be able to recognise conflict and tension, and deal with it. Failure to do so will have a negative impact on your business, and you could end up with a lack of motivation in your team and low morale. This can affect the productivity of your business and possibly cause difficulty retaining staff. Furthermore, prolonged workplace tension can result in poor working relationships in teams and increased work-related stress. This article will explain what you, as an employer, need to know about how to handle conflict and tension between your staff in the workplace. Additionally, it will explore remedial actions you can take.

What is Conflict and Tension in the Workplace?

Conflict and tension in the workplace is interpersonal conflict. It is human nature for this to occur as your staff are individuals with their own opinions and differences. For example, your team may:

• have a dispute;
• have a heated argument;
• exclude another from a work conversation;
• pull another up quickly for a minor mistake; or
• cut off a colleague abruptly when asking a question.

However, some members of your staff may not respond as productively as others which can cause issues. They could take the form of bullying or harassment, or even violence.

Conflict and tension can occur:

• directly between you and a member of staff;
• between two of your employees;
• within small groups in your workplace; or
• between whole departments.

Additionally, workplace conflict and tension can be a result of:

• gossiping;
• bullying and harassment;
• discrimination;
• personality clashes;
• bad management;
• poor working conditions; and
• change at work, such as in pay rates.

Conflict may also exist in the workplace in the form of a conflict of interest, where an employee’s interests, such as personal or financial, clash with their role in your business. 

Handling Conflict and Tension

As an employer, you should have a policy or procedure for handling conflict and tension and follow this. This is your conflict management policy. However, exactly how you deal with a situation of conflict and tension will depend on individual circumstances. Here are some ways to deal with conflict and tension in the workplace.

1. Act as Soon as Possible

When you spot conflict and tension in your workplace, you should deal with it as soon as possible. You should not leave your staff to try to deal with the issue alone.

2. Talk to Those Involved 

If there is conflict or tension in your work between your staff, one of the best ways to deal with this is by talking to all members of the team who are part of this. When doing so, you should:

• refer to actual examples rather than generalise;
• make yourself clear on who is involved;
• listen to the reasons from all parties; 
• focus on the issue rather than the personalities of those involved;
• try not to make a judgement;
• understand what may cause conflict to arise again; and
• decide upon a resolution.

3. Mediation

Mediation is one way to deal with conflict and tension in your workplace. If you cannot resolve the conflict after speaking to staff, you may consider mediation. Mediation may work for complex conflicts but may not be suitable where the conflict in the workplace is destructive.

Mediation allows those in conflict or tension to discuss the issues and understand why they exist, providing ideas on how to deal with them. It is a flexible process where your employees express their feelings. You could train a staff member to be a mediator or use an external party. 

4. Carry Out a Disciplinary Procedure

Some types of conflict and tension cannot be resolved through talking or mediation. Instead, they require a formal procedure such as your disciplinary one. You should  handle conflict and tension in the workplace in this way where it is, for example:

• bullying;
• harassment; or 
• discrimination. 

You should have a disciplinary and grievance procedure in place and should follow this. 

Key Takeaways

On the whole, conflict and tension in the workplace between staff members is a common occurrence. However, you must deal with it as soon as possible. Delaying it can result in problems in your business such as low staff morale and stress. You should discuss with those involved to establish what is going on. Sometimes conflict and tension in the workplace can be relatively harmless and dealt with through this discussion. Other times, mediation may be helpful. Where the conflict and tension are serious such as discrimination or bullying, you may need to take formal measures and follow your disciplinary procedure.

If you need help understanding how to handle conflict and tension between staff in the workplace in England, our experienced employment lawyers can assist as part of our LegalVision membership. For a low monthly fee, you will have unlimited access to lawyers to answer your questions and draft and review your documents for a low monthly fee. So call us today on 0808 196 8584 or visit our membership page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are conflict and tension in the workplace?

Conflict and tension in the workplace are interpersonal conflicts that can show themselves in various ways. For example, a heated argument between two colleagues or an argument between departments or even in the form of bullying, discrimination or harassment.

How should an employer deal with conflict and tension in the workplace?

You should deal with conflict and tension in the workplace as soon as possible, and how you deal with it will depend on the circumstances. This will normally require you to talk to those involved to establish what is happening and resolve the issue. If it cannot be resolved, you may decide upon mediation, and where it is serious, you may resort to your disciplinary procedure.