The case for progressive HR practices

Research by the CIPD has indicated that a significant portion of employees and employers, about 26% and 20% respectively, view conflict at work as a ‘common occurrence’. According to research conducted by CPP Inc. in the United States, American employees spend nearly 3 hours per week dealing with work conflict on average, resulting in an annual financial cost of $359 billion to US organizations.

In the UK, a report by Acas in 2021 estimates that workplace conflict costs UK employers £28.5 billion annually, averaging just over £1,000 per employee. This includes costs from resignations, disciplinary dismissals, and sickness absences.

The same report also found that in 2018/19, 9.7 million workers in the UK experienced workplace conflict, affecting nearly one-third of the country’s working population. More than 50% of these workers suffered from stress, anxiety, or depression due to the conflict, resulting in various consequences such as time off work, resignations, and dismissals.

While some level of workplace conflict can lead to positive outcomes like innovation and collaboration when managed effectively, these statistics underscore the detrimental and costly nature of workplace conflict. They also fail to capture the human toll of conflict on individuals, including effects on mental health, morale, productivity, and personal relationships.

Professor Richard Saundry from the University of Sheffield’s Management School, whose students authored the workplace conflict report with Acas, emphasized the need for early interventions and effective resolutions to repair employment relationships. He stressed the importance of managers identifying problems early and employees engaging with HR or trade union reps to prevent unnecessary resignations or dismissals.

TCM has been supporting organizations for over 20 years in resolving workplace conflict through mediation services and progressive HR practices, such as The Resolution Framework. Organizations like Burberry, Nationwide Building Society, Aviva, London Ambulance Service, and North East Lincolnshire Council have adopted The Resolution Framework and witnessed positive outcomes.

Aviva, for example, implemented The Resolution Framework in 2019 and observed that most workplace conflicts were resolved through informal processes, saving time and resources. Anthony Fitzpatrick, head of colleague experience & employment at Aviva, highlighted the framework’s effectiveness in facilitating quick and workable outcomes.

Burberry also embraced aspects of The Resolution Framework after recognizing the need for more progressive HR practices to better resolve workplace issues. Claire Salter, director of global employee relations at Burberry, emphasized the importance of mature conversations and providing staff with opportunities to learn from conflicts rather than engaging in adversarial discussions. She said “said “Cases were not getting resolved quickly and this was causing distress for both staff and managers. We recognised there had to be a better way of us having more mature conversations and giving our staff the opportunity to reflect, look at different choices they could have made and actually learn from the issue rather than just having an adversarial conversation.”