North of England Good Work Index: Workplace conflict puts strain on northern workers’ health and trust in management
CIPD urges employers to focus on management training and address underlying causes of conflict in the workplace
CIPD urges employers to focus on management training and address underlying causes of conflict in the workplace
As many as one in four workers (25%) in the north of England have experienced conflict at work over the past year, with most choosing not to report incidents such as verbal abuse and harassment, according to the latest CIPD Good Work Index.
The research also reveals that victims of workplace conflict suffer more from poor mental health and a lack of trust and confidence in management.
In response, the CIPD is calling for employers to focus on management training to deal with conflict effectively, and to address the underlying causes, such as poor management practices and excessive workloads.
The CIPD’s Good Work Index – which surveyed close to 900 workers in the north of England - provides an annual benchmark of good work. It measures a wide range of job quality aspects, including the day-to-day experiences of workers and the impact of work on health and wellbeing.
Among the findings of workers who had experienced conflict at work, only a quarter (25%) felt that work impacts their mental health positively, compared to 40% of those who hadn’t experienced any conflict.
Further findings reveal victims of workplace conflict have a stark lack of trust in management to keep them informed and allow them to influence decisions and are more likely to feel like they are not paid fairly, compared to other colleagues.
“Too many line managers do not receive any people management training, so they lack the skills and knowledge to support their staff effectively and identify and manage any conflict or problems that arise. This is having a detrimental effect on the health of workers and their trust in management.
“It’s important that managers can address the underlying causes of conflict, such as excessive workloads and poor management practices, and put measures in place to support staff and reduce the likelihood of conflict occurring again.”
The research revealed the most common approach to address conflict was to let it go (42%), followed by having a discussion with a manager or HR (31%) and informal discussions, either with someone outside work such as family or friends (23%).
“Our findings suggest a lack of confidence in senior staff to address conflict constructively. Managers and senior leaders must ensure they encourage open and supportive work environments, where employees feel they have a voice and line managers can have difficult conversations, through effective training.”
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