A Guide to Solving Workplace Disputes

When you work with other people, whether alongside them, or as their superior, you need to accept the fact that there are going to be disputes. They aren’t fun. But they’re bound to happen in any situation where people with different personalities interact on a regular basis, and the workplace is no different.

These conflicts can be between you and someone on a higher or lower level. Or they can be between two employees that you need to manage. It can feel like a massive responsibility to have to resolve conflict between two people, but luckily there a few ways of handling it.

Know when it’s time to call in the lawyers

While many people prefer to deal with workplace conflicts on their own, this can be risky. If the dispute is not solved in a way that satisfies all parties, things can get ugly.

An employment law attorney will be able to offer you advice, as well as protect you from making any mistakes that could possibly damage the company or your personal career.

Try different forms of conflict resolution

Get the two employees involved in the dispute to come together along with a non-biased third party, and try to get them to talk things out. Conflict resolution takes many forms, and it also acts as a method of damage control, since you might be able to prevent the situation form getting worse if you step in early enough.

You can also try to avoid or lessen the risk of workplace disputes by training all of your employees in how to deal with conflict. You can send them for training. Or have weekly meetings to try and detect any problems that could lead to a dispute in the future.

Counselling

Very often, someone is dealing with a personal matter. That often leads to them lashing out and therefore creating a conflict within the workplace. If your work doesn’t already have it, try to get workplace counselling.

Getting to the root of an employee’s emotional issues will likely prevent them from taking their frustrations out on their coworkers. Workplace counselling should always be private and safe. You need to make sure your employees know that their problems will remain confidential.

Communicate

Improper communication or lack of communication often plays a massive role in any type of conflict situation. It’s important to have the involved employees clearly communicate what had upset them and how they feel about the situation.

Give everyone equal opportunity to voice their emotions. Make sure to communicate any policies to your employees clearly and on time. Miscommunication can lead to disputes.

Remain professional

If you are personally involved in a dispute, you need to try and remain professional and calm. Leave all emotions out of it. If you’re solving a dispute between two employees, professionalism is even more important.

You need to remain impartial and unbiased. Taking sides is definitely not an option. If you feel that your involvement is a conflict of interest, get someone else in to handle the dispute.