“I needed to stay away from people, stay in my office with the door shut.”
A new survey from one of the UK’s leading workplace mediation and conflict management providers, Consensio, has highlighted the significant link between workplace conflict and the worrying growth in mental health issues.
Consensio surveyed 57 individuals who attended workplace mediation to establish the effect workplace conflict had on their physical and mental health and well-being.
An overwhelming 84% reported that workplace conflict had affected their overall health. Specifically, 75% said it had impacted their mental health, 65% their physical well-being, and 25% had to take time off work due to the negative impact of workplace conflict.
Commenting on the research findings, Anna Shields, a director and founder of Consensio, said: “For the past 12 years, we have seen the detrimental impact of workplace conflict on employee well-being. Our research suggests the significant and growing impact of unresolved workplace conflict on our overall health and wellbeing.
“The problem is that when we are in conflict at work, we often feel stuck, and unable to see a way forward. Our minds fill with reasons for not taking action and we close our minds to the possibility of change.”
But there are ways to break out of this conflict deadlock. Consensio has compiled a free guide to help people make the healthiest possible choices in the face of conflict and to minimise the damage and better protect themselves. The guide is available on the Consensio website and covers the five easy steps that can be taken to protect our health and wellbeing.
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