Who Handles Workplace Conflicts?

If you’re reading this, you may be feeling emotional about something that happened at work. Input from someone neutrally involved can provide you with helpful and objective advice. Consider the following three avenues when deciding who you will talk with about your employment conflict.

The likelihood of employment conflict has increased, and it may very often feel like you’re all alone with your concern. A culture of respect, fairness, and trust is one you want to be part of at work, but that isn’t always the reality.

Even with a move to remote work, company meetings still occur online. There is the potential for toxic forums, hurtful interactions between employees, managers, and employers. The damage from such interactions is long-lasting or even permanent.

One of the most common reasons employees quit their positions is an unresolved conflict with their employer or co-workers. 

This article will discuss three resources available to you to handle three levels of workplace conflict: 

• Personality conflicts that can and should be managed by your Office Manager or Human Resources Manager

• Perceived affronts requiring Conflict Resolution Experts

• Disputes that must be handled professionally and legally by an Employment Law Firm

In our article, ‘Can I Receive Free Employment Advice?’ we touch on disagreements in the workplace, and you can also read about the instances of ‘When You Should Take Legal Action Against Your Employer or Employee.’

1) Who will best help you with personality conflicts during work? 

Your Human Resources (HR) or Office Manager should be able to help you with an incident such as: 

• Insults
• Lack of cooperation
• Poor communication
• Irritating co-workers’ behaviour 

These behaviours are expressions of personality conflicts resulting from misunderstandings and clashes between temperaments. 

• Perceived inequities of resources 
• Unclarified work methods
• Conflicts of job duties between employees
• Differences over job descriptions
• Varying perceptions attributed to age, sex, or upbringing

These are usually signs of disorganization and inconsistent or unclear policies within the organization.

HR Managers should be able to help you with work policies, conflicts of interest, and co-worker communications. 

They will help you with personality conflicts regarding your feelings of loss of respect and personal and public disagreements between other employees, managers, and employers and differences over job descriptions. Personality conflicts can be challenging to repair, even for a Human Resources Manager, but that person should have the training to deal with and diffuse these sorts of issues. 

2) Perceived affronts requiring Conflict Resolution Experts 

Speak with an outside Conflict Resolution Professional, or ask your Human Resources (HR) or Office Manager if they have professional conflict resolution training. 

Poor company morale, employee absenteeism, and a lack of business success result from toxic work environments. 

• Perceived gaslighting
• Bullying tactics
• Imposed irritants perceived to induce an employee to quit

These are more deliberate affronts requiring more professional training to repair. 

Because these behaviours can potentially have significant psychological and/or monetary consequences, seeking appropriate professional advice to resolve the same is advisable.

“Ethan Rogers helped settle a very difficult matter in a compassionate and professional manner. I highly recommend Ethan and his team!” – M. Rodrigues.
See more of our 5-star testimonials here.

3) Disputes that must be handled professionally and legally by an Employment Law Firm 

If talks progress or escalate to the point of no return, and if you are uncomfortable with the consequences, choosing a lawyer to represent your best interests is the next step. 

You should always discuss how you feel with your employer, employee, or the person with whom a concern has arisen.

• Harassment, either political, sexual, or age-related
• Discrimination
• Cultural conflicts 
• Antagonism and abuse

These types of issues will generally benefit from the experience of a legal professional’s point of view.

Rogers & Company has a track record of providing outstanding results for our clients. Take advantage of our ‘Free Advice Quick Call’ to uncover your options. Call Ethan Rogers at (905) 901 3685.

If and when your situation escalates where the opposing party refuses to resolve the issues at hand on reasonable terms, we move to effective litigation.

Meet our team here, and call us to tell us your concerns. 

Categorised in: Uncategorized

This post was written by oakville_admin