A quarter (25 per cent) of UK employees – an estimated eight million people – have encountered workplace conflict in the last year, a CIPD report has revealed.
The CIPD Good Work Index 2024, which surveyed more than 5,000 UK workers, has discovered that the most prevalent types of conflict were being humiliated or undermined at work (48 per cent); being shouted at or having a heated argument (35 per cent); verbal abuse or insult (34 per cent) and discriminatory behaviour (20 per cent).
Women were more likely than men to report at least one form of conflict (28 per cent vs 22 per cent for men), as were ethnic minorities compared to white people (29 per cent vs 24 per cent), and those with some form of disability compared to those without (35 per cent vs 23 per cent)
Employees who experienced conflict were found twice as likely to say they would leave their job in the following year (33 per cent, compared to 16 per cent of those who had not reported conflict).
The survey found that employees’ most common response to conflict was to simply ‘let it go’ (47 per cent), followed by discussing with a manager or HR (29 per cent), informal discussions, either with someone outside work such as family or friends (21 per cent) or with the other person involved (17 per cent). Only a few (1 per cent) took the case to an employment tribunal.
Two thirds (66 per cent) of people said their conflict was either fully or partially resolved. Just 36 per cent said their workplace conflict had been fully resolved.
The report said: “It would, of course, be unrealistic to suggest that every source of conflict can be resolved to the full satisfaction of both parties. But more than a third did say they had no resolution at all.”
It continued: “Those who reported conflict were significantly less likely to think senior managers and directors had the right vision, or that they were able, or could be trusted, to act with integrity.”
