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News » 25% of UK workers face workplace conflict, impacting 8 million: CIPD

25% of UK workers face workplace conflict, impacting 8 million: CIPD

Photo from CIPD’s Good Work Index 2024

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — A quarter of employees in the United Kingdom have experienced workplace conflict in the past year, straining job quality for an estimated 8 million workers, according to a new report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

The CIPD’s Good Work Index 2024 was conducted in January and February 2024 and provides a total sample of 5,496 UK workers.

The troubling impact of workplace conflict

The CIPD survey found that among those reporting at least one form of conflict, the most common issues were being undermined or humiliated (48%), heated arguments or shouting (35%), verbal abuse or insults (34%), and discriminatory behavior (20%).

Those experiencing conflict were only half as likely to be satisfied with their job compared to those with no conflicts (54% vs 77%). They were also twice as likely to say they plan to leave their current role within 12 months (33% vs 16%).

“While a healthy level of discussion and debate in a workplace can be valuable, our survey suggests that workplace conflict is often much more than this, harming the job satisfaction and wellbeing of far too many,” said Jake Young, senior adviser for employee experience, OD and L&D at the CIPD.

The CIPD is urging employers to prioritize line manager training and tackle the root causes like excessive workloads to create more supportive, inclusive cultures where conflicts can be resolved effectively.

Underlying causes need addressing

The report highlights excessive workloads, exhaustion, and pressure as key underlying drivers of workplace conflicts that must be addressed. Of those experiencing conflict, 42% said they always or often felt exhausted (18% with no conflicts), while 37% frequently felt under too much pressure (15%).

Only 28% said their work positively impacted their mental health, compared to 43% without conflicts. Just 25% saw a positive physical health impact from their job, versus 32% of conflict-free workers.

Concerningly, employees’ most common response was simply to “let it go” (47%), followed by discussing with a manager/HR (29%) or informal conversations (21% with family/friends, 17% with the other person involved). Only 1% took the case to an employment tribunal.

“Our findings show that when conflict does happen, a lot of it is simply let go, which may suggest a lack of confidence in senior staff to address these issues constructively. And so the cycle of conflict stands to continue,” Young added. 

“Managers and senior leaders should encourage open and supportive work environments, where employees feel they have a voice and line managers feel empowered to have difficult conversations through effective training.”

Homeworking might lower conflict

The CIPD report also suggests that employees who work from home experience significantly lower levels of conflict compared to those who work onsite

Only 4% of workers who spent more than half of their time working from home reported being shouted at, in stark contrast to the 11% of those who worked mostly onsite. Similarly, verbal abuse incidents were also less common among remote workers, with only 3% reporting such experiences compared to 12% of onsite workers.

However, the report acknowledged that “the underlying relationship between working at home and conflict is likely to be more complex,” as those able to work remotely may be in occupations and age groups that generally report lower conflict levels.

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