Workplace conflict research summary. Whether you’re dealing with a talkative coworker or an overbearing boss, conflicts in the workplace are unavoidable. While they might seem harmless at first, these issues can cause massive damage to employee health, businesses, and the US economy. We’ve gathered all the latest workplace conflict statistics, and according to our extensive research:
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85% of employees experience conflict in the workplace.
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US employees spend an average of 2.8 hours per week in conflict.
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49% of workplace conflict can be attributed to personality clashes.
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76% of employees use avoidance as their workplace conflict management style.
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Workplace conflict costs US companies $359 billion in hours paid annually.
For further analysis, we broke down the data in the following ways: Causes of Workplace Conflict | How Workplace Conflict is Handled | Results of Workplace Conflict | Cost of Workplace Conflict | Effects of Conflict Management Training
Frequency of workplace conflict
You’ve likely experienced your fair share of conflict. However, you might be surprised to learn just how common workplace conflict is. Here are some examples of its prevalence:
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36% of employees experience workplace conflict often, very often, or all the time.
In 2008, 29% of employees experienced workplace conflict either often or all the time. Today, those numbers have increased considerably to 36%.
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The number of employees experiencing workplace conflict has increased by around 25% since 2008.
Workplace conflict has grown over the past decade, with over a third of workers now dealing with conflict regularly.
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Managers spend an average of 4.3 hours a week dealing with conflict.
Time spent dealing with conflict has doubled since 2008, resulting in many more lost hours of work every day.
Causes of workplace conflict
Workplace conflicts are becoming more common, but what are the causes? To find out more about what causes workplace conflict, here are some key statistics:
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22% of workplace conflicts come from unclear expectations.
Many employees don’t know what they’re doing, leading to conflict with their managers and co-workers.
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Communication differences are the biggest cause of workplace conflict, at 39%.
91% of all workplace conflict has only four causes. These include:
Causes of workplace conflict
Causes Share of conflicts Communication differences 39% Unclear expectations 22% Unreasonable time constraints 16% Opaque performance standards 14%
How workplace conflict is handled
As the prevalence of workplace conflict increases, finding solutions is more important than ever. Of course, some solutions are more effective than others. Here are examples of how workplace conflict is handled:
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54% of employees report their co-worker conflict to someone higher up.
Conversely, 60% of employees take the initiative to resolve the co-worker conflict themselves before it escalates.
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67% of employees take extra measures to avoid coworkers they disagree with.
Most coworkers handle workplace conflict by, well, not handling it. Avoiding conflict is very common, even though it can lead to further issues down the line.
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The most common conflict resolution management style is an accommodating style (34.3%).
The accommodating style entails satisfying the other employee’s needs or concerns first. Others among the most common conflict resolution styles in the workplace are
Workplace Conflict Resolution Styles
Conflict resolution style Share of managers Accommodating 34.3% Compromising 18.5% Avoiding 13.9% Collaborating 13.9% Competing 6.5% Combination of styles 12.9%
Results of workplace conflict
The results of workplace conflict can be devastating for employees and businesses alike. Employees lose their time and sanity, while businesses can lose significant profit. Here are some of the results of conflict in the workplace:
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57% of employees have witnessed conflict that results in personal insult or injury.
Workplace conflicts can escalate into serious problems, with over half of employees witnessing personal insults or injury and 27% seeing conflicts lead to personal attacks.
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40% of employees leave a job due to unhealthy conflicts.
Many employees end up leaving their jobs due to workplace conflict, with those who stay saying their satisfaction would improve if conflict were handled more effectively.
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31% of managers think they handle conflict well, while only 22% of non-managers agree.
Managers tend to overestimate their conflict resolution skills, leaving employees even more disillusioned with workplace conflicts. This results in stagnation and a lack of improvement in the system, ultimately driving employees away,
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43% of contributors state that managers need to be better at resolving conflicts, compared to 23% of managers.
Around twice as many contributors believe managers need to increase their conflict resolution skills, showing the gap between their perceived and actual skills.
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87.8% of professionals are willing to compromise in a workplace conflict.
The vast majority of workers just want a resolution, even if it comes at the cost of needing to compromise.
Cost of workplace conflict
Workplace conflict can be surprisingly costly, especially when you consider all the working hours lost each day. Here are some facts about the true cost of conflict in the workplace:
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Employees dealing with workplace conflict are 12% less productive.
Workplace conflict can take up over 8% of an employee’s work time, resulting in far less productivity. This decrease inevitably leads to less profit for the corresponding business.
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US employees lose the equivalent of 385 million working days per year to workplace conflict.
At a loss of 2.8 hours per week, all US employees are losing countless days of work to conflict every single year.
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Disengaged workers cost businesses 18% of their annual salary from decreased productivity.
If an employee were to make $60,000 per year, that would be the equivalent of losing $10,800 per employee.
The effects of conflict management training
Managers and employees need to prepare for workplace conflict, but training can be one of the best ways to improve outcomes. Here are the facts about conflict management training:
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60% of employees never received basic conflict management training.
With most employees never having received conflict management training, it’s a simple and easy way to improve the state of conflict resolution in the workplace quickly.
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76% of employees with conflict resolution training report that it helped them find positive conflict resolutions.
More specifically, 41% of employees state that they understand others better, and 29% have found a better solution to a workplace problem following training.
Workplace Conflict FAQ
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What are the major reasons behind workplace conflict?
91% of workplace conflict stems from communication differences, unclear expectations, unreasonable time constraints, and opaque time restraints. Communication differences are the most common cause of workplace conflict, responsible for 39%. 22% of conflict comes from unclear expectations, 16% from unreasonable time constraints, and 14% from opaque.
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What percentage of full-time employees experience conflict?
85% of full-time employees deal with conflict in the workplace. Employees now waste almost 3 hours per week dealing with workplace conflict, making it a costly endeavor for the majority of them.
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Is workplace conflict on the rise?
Yes, workplace conflict is on the rise, with the share of employees dealing with it increasing by almost 25% since 2008. In 2008, only 29% of employees reported dealing with workplace conflict either often or all the time. Today, that share has jumped to 36%.
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How many people avoid conflict in the workplace?
76% of people avoid conflict in the workplace whenever possible. No one enjoys dealing with conflict in the workplace, and the majority will do what they can to avoid it. In fact, 67% of employees take extra measures just to avoid coworkers they disagree with.
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Is workplace conflict always dysfunctional?
No, workplace conflict can be functional or dysfunctional. Here are the primary differences between the two:
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Functional Conflict: Arises from differing perspectives, ideas, or approaches among team members. This conflict can stimulate creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. When managed effectively, it enhances team dynamics, encourages open communication, and promotes continuous improvement, strengthening the team.
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Dysfunctional Conflict: Typically rooted in personal differences, misunderstandings, or unresolved issues, this conflict hinders productivity and produces a negative work environment. If left unaddressed, it can escalate and cause increased stress, reduced morale, and decreased team cohesion.
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Conclusion
Conflict can be unavoidable in the workplace, but with more and more employees experiencing it, it has become a growing concern. 25% more employees experience conflict often or all the time now compared to 2008. Overall, 85% of all employees now report experiencing conflict in the workplace.
Unfortunately, most workers also don’t know how to deal with conflict. From managers overestimating their conflict resolution abilities to the majority of employees avoiding coworkers they have conflicts with, it seems the problem isn’t easy to handle.
To avoid lost profits, turnover, and mental health decline, it’s vital for companies to implement and prioritize conflict management training.
References
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New Research: Time Spent on Workplace Conflict Has Doubled Since 2008
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SHRM – Reducing Employee Conflict
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NIH – Conflict resolution styles and skills and variation among medical students
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Newsweek – Americans Are Raising Grievances About Their Coworkers
Author
Jack Flynn is a writer for Zippia. In his professional career he’s written over 100 research papers, articles and blog posts. Some of his most popular published works include his writing about economic terms and research into job classifications. Jack received his BS from Hampshire College.
