Employer vs. employee disputes happen. Dealing with them can take some experience as well as some finesse, but some strategies can help you tackle the issue and get back to what matters most – growing your business. 

It’s inevitable for conflicts to arise in business between an employer and an employee. When this happens, employers have an obligation to resolve conflict as quickly and as smoothly as possible to get things back to normal and resume normal production. 

Communication is vital when in a dispute between an employer and employee. When a conflict arises, be it between two employees or a manager and an employee, the first instinct is to begin formulating responses. Take time to actively listen to what the other person is saying. Then take a few seconds after they’re done speaking to consider what has been said. Then, formulate a response. 

Don’t create conflict by directly confronting them with a statement like, “What’s wrong with you?” Instead, ask them how they feel their work is going and what challenges they might be facing. They are more likely to open up when the situation doesn’t feel confrontational. 

Is There A Conflict?

You can often recognize that there is a conflict before a situation is even brought up to you. For instance, you may see some employees working well with others, but they avoid their superiors or managers. If this is the case, you might want to bring the employee into your office for a talk. 

If you’ve established that conflict exists, your next task is to determine the nature of the conflict. One of the first concerns should be whether you have an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issue, which can include workplace harassment or discrimination. Be familiar with your company’s harassment and discrimination policies. These kinds of conflicts can result in legal trouble for the company.

However, many workplace conflicts are more conflicts of personality or ways of working rather than illegal activity. There may be tight deadlines or difficult clients that are causing disputes to arise. You’ll need to dig into the heart of the matter and discuss ways to create a space where both sides can do their job without conflicting with one another.

Everyone deals with conflict and tension in their own way. Some may internalize. Others may inflate the situation. You can distinguish between the two through careful observation and identifying the behavioral tendencies of each employee. Once you have established this, you can go about more effective conflict resolution. For instance, you might have to establish boundaries to preserve the smooth functioning of the business.

Conflict in the workplace may be inevitable but dealing with it in a quick and empathetic manner can help get things back on track. Knowing how to recognize that a conflict exists before it becomes inflated and knowing how to create a resolution that works is essential to getting the ship back on course. It’s sometimes not pleasant, but the alternative is a far worse situation; letting a conflict fester until it turns so ugly that the law gets involved.