Managing Grievances and Conflict in the Workplace
As individuals in society develop an increasingly sophisticated understanding of their workplace rights, the more likely they are to raise grievances or act as whistleblowers.
If you feel as though you are often facing competing priorities when dealing with such grievances, you are not alone, says Acuity Law’s Juliette Franklin.
Businesses in receipt of a complaint or a whistleblowing allegation made by an employee are often acutely aware of the need to support the person making the complaint while they investigate it, but grapple with the competing requirement to provide support and protection to individuals who are the subject of a complaint. After all, at this stage, these individuals have not yet been deemed guilty of any wrongdoing. At times it may even be the case that employers must handle multiple grievances initiated by one employee, raising suspicions about that person’s reliability.
“I often hear the question, from a managing conflict perspective, how do we make sure we’re not favouring one person at the expense of somebody else, or how do we make sure we are taking care of all our employees?” reports Legal Director Juliette.
For Juliette, the solution is: record, record, record.
“When you keep proper records, you have evidence that you have done the right things,” says Juliette.
When things go awry, and a regulator becomes involved, for example, you need evidence that you have policies – such as whistleblowing policies – in place. But having such a policy is just the starting point.
Juliette has compiled some top tips for managing workplace conflict effectively – and demonstrating that you have done so.
Top tips for managing workplace conflict effectively
- Make sure you have appropriate policies governing areas of potential conflict in place.
- A policy by itself is insufficient. Like cheese left in the fridge, if unloved or ignored, it goes off! Ensure that your policies are implemented, published in an openly accessible (and well-signposted) place, for example, in your company handbook.
- Make sure your policy is regularly monitored, reviewed and updated.
- Empower stakeholders to raise genuine concerns in an appropriate way, that protects all parties concerned, by providing training on your policies.
- Provide HR training to appropriate workers and managers. Common mistakes relate to inadvertent disclosures and breaches of confidentiality, as well as inadequate record-keeping. Make sure managers are trained to support aggrieved parties.
- Document all discussions.
- Communicate regularly and frequently with your workforce. Open communication and staff engagement helps people to feel able to speak up and seek feedback in a positive way. For example, provide regular feedback to staff on issues they have raised.
For more guidance on Employment issues, reach out to our Acuity Law Employment team for bespoke advice.
