Two wooden figures, one green and one red, with four beige figures in the background.

Dispute resolution is a crucial leadership skill and is best managed by having consistent policies and procedures in place. Without this, a petty squabble can escalate into a state of conflict, and in the worst cases can lead to losing a valued team member or even facing an employment tribunal.

Knowing how to manage disputes and conflicts in the workplace is all part of strong management practice. It starts with recognising when employees have a grievance with one another, or as a group against a company policy they perceive as unfair or unreasonable.

Occasional disagreement is inevitable and is not necessarily a bad thing; it can help you to improve your policies and operate a more inclusive environment in the workplace. However, conflict can be very unsettling for some people, so needs tackling before you suffer a drop in productivity or morale.

Early intervention

Early intervention in workplace disputes can allow you to defuse those ticking time bombs before they detonate.

Some of the warning signs to look out for include:

  • Employees who feel held back or otherwise restricted
  • Employees who complain about feeling under too much pressure
  • Employees who feel they are not paid enough for their work
  • Complaints about poor communication from line managers
  • Complaints about poorly defined roles and duties
  • Confusion about company goals and values
  • Individuals who feel excluded or misunderstood
  • A lack of basic resources (e.g. essential tools and stationery)
  • External/domestic factors e.g. abusive partners or addiction

Your HR team should intervene when necessary; but by staying vigilant and encouraging line managers to report any concerns, you can refer cases to HR for attention before they develop into full workplace disputes.

Slow burners

Pay particular attention to slow-burning issues, which may have been simmering and festering for many months before coming to light.

The longer an employee has felt aggrieved, the harder it is likely to be to remedy the situation. All you can do is offer reasonable procedures and an appropriate response, as soon as it's sensible to do so.

Anger and emotion

Anger can be a productive and motivating emotion in many aspects of life, but it's not conducive to a reasoned, impartial discussion, so try to keep conversations calm and use a level tone, even if the employee is impassioned.

Letting HR take the lead can help. You might want them to talk with each party separately, without management supervision, to improve the chance of all employees speaking openly and truthfully.

If managers do need to be involved, make sure they have the experience to remain emotionally detached - and take an empathetic rather than combative stance, even if you don't expect to side with the complainant in the final analysis.

Learning opportunities

Regardless of the outcome for the employee, every dispute raised is a learning opportunity for the employer, so look for the lessons you can take away from every discussion.

By applying those lessons, you can revise policies and procedures, address common causes of employee unhappiness, and protect your investment in talent acquisition.

Conflict resolution checklist

At Michael Page Ireland we have worked with many employers and have put together this conflict resolution checklist to help you decide how to respond to any workplace disputes that arise:

  1. Focus on the problem, not the person: Every grievance has its own merits, no matter who raises it.
  2. Avoid putting either party into a defensive position. Stay amicable and impartial.
  3. Try to resist making rash judgments or sweeping generalisations.
  4. Treat all parties with equal respect, regardless of their level of seniority.
  5. Maintain a professional and forthright tone. Be positive and pragmatic.
  6. Never ignore the key issues raised, no matter how frivolous they may seem.
  7. Listen actively to both sides and try to understand what everyone is saying.
  8. If you need to get involved, explain your position without going on the attack.
  9. Set boundaries as early as possible in an attempt to prevent conflict escalation.
  10. Show empathy. Employees are people with real lives; don't just treat them as resources.

From dispute to discipline

If you decide that an incident demands a disciplinary response, make sure you know how to act - and engage with all parties so that they understand the outcome too (subject to any appropriate level of confidentiality).

You should create a disciplinary procedure before any disputes arise, so that it's already in place and your personnel know what actions will be taken to hear their grievance and decide how to respond.

Finally, don't assume that the complainant is correct or incorrect - let the evidence determine your course of action. Spurious complaints against an innocent individual are a disciplinary issue in their own right, so be vigilant to such incidents and treat them as harassment.

You can find more guides to dealing with personnel problems in our management advice articles, or contact us to discuss your recruitment process in more detail.

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