Conflict and bullying behavior in the workplace are toxic to company culture. They destroy morale, lower retention rates, and kill productivity.
However, there is a distinct difference between a healthy clash of ideas (conflict) and a repeated pattern of unreasonable behaviour (bullying). For supervisors and team leaders, the ability to distinguish between the two is crucial.
This guide explores how to identify the early signs of conflict and bullying, and how to manage these risks effectively to keep your team safe and productive.
What is workplace bullying?
Bullying is defined as repeated, unreasonable behaviour directed towards a worker that creates a risk to health and safety. It creates a hostile or intimidating environment.
While bullying can happen in any workplace, data from Safe Work Australia consistently shows that the Health Care and Social Assistance industry has the highest frequency of serious claims for mental health conditions, often stemming from work pressure and harassment.
Examples of bullying include:
- Verbal Abuse: Sarcasm, insults, name-calling, and shouting.
- Sabotage: Deliberately withholding information or destroying work.
- Exclusion: “Freezing out” an employee from meetings or social interactions.
- Role Undermining: Constant, unwarranted criticism or removing responsibilities without reason.
- Discrimination: Targeting someone based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.
What is workplace conflict?
Conflict is a disagreement that escalates. Unlike bullying, conflict is not necessarily repeated, and it does not always involve a power imbalance. It is a natural part of human interaction.
Conflict can be caused by personality clashes, miscommunication, or financial stress. Importantly, conflict can sometimes be constructive. When managed well, it can lead to innovation and better problem-solving. Bullying is never constructive.
What to do if you observe these behaviours
If you see Bullying:
You have a duty of care to report it. Bullying is a health and safety risk.
- Document it: Keep a record of the dates, times, and details of the incidents.
- Report it: Escalate the issue to HR or a supervisor immediately.
- Don’t ignore “low-level” signs: Aggressive emails or “jokes” that target specific individuals are often precursors to serious bullying.
If you see Conflict:
Assess the situation. Is it a professional disagreement or a personal attack? If it is the former, you may need to facilitate rather than investigate.
- Encourage direct communication: Can the parties resolve it themselves with guidance?
- Facilitate a discussion: If they cannot resolve it, step in to mediate. Help them focus on the issue, not the person.
- Intervene early: Do not wait for a disagreement to fester into resentment.
Strategies for Supervisors: How to Intervene
As a leader, you play different roles depending on the severity of the situation:
- The Mediator: Use this for low-level conflict. Bring the parties together to find a voluntary solution.
- The Active Listener: sometimes employees just need to be heard. Listen without judgment to understand the root cause of the frustration.
- The Objective Observer: If the situation escalates, step back. Do not take sides. Document the facts objectively and report them to HR.
- The Investigator: If the behaviour meets the definition of bullying, an informal chat is no longer appropriate. You may need to initiate a formal investigation.
Conclusion
Managing conflict is challenging, but it is a required skill for modern leadership. By recognizing the signs early, you can intervene before a disagreement turns into a toxic dispute.
However, when conflict crosses the line into bullying, you must take formal action to protect your business and your employees.
Watch our video: Managing Workplace Conflict
Need Help Resolving a Dispute?
Jolasers provides expert workplace investigations to resolve complex conflict and bullying matters.
Telephone: 0418 101 164 (Stephen Oliver)
Common Questions
Can conflict be good for a team?
Yes. Constructive conflict (debating ideas, challenging processes) can lead to innovation. Destructive conflict (personal attacks) damages the team.
When should I call an investigator?
You should engage an investigator when there is a formal complaint of bullying, harassment, or misconduct that cannot be resolved through informal mediation.
What if the bullying is subtle?
Subtle bullying (like exclusion or gaslighting) is still bullying if it is repeated and creates a risk to health and safety. Document these patterns carefully.
