Labour dispute resolution: examples

Los conflictos laborales son desacuerdos entre empleadores y empleados, o entre grupos de empleados, que surgen de las relaciones laborales. Estos desacuerdos pueden deberse a una variedad de razones, como salarios, condiciones de trabajo, seguridad laboral, beneficios, despidos o la forma en que se gestiona una empresa.

The labour disputes they are the clash that occurs between individuals or departments, ending the harmony of their relationship. The factor that generates this unpleasant situation of disagreement can be emotional, organisational or cultural, among others.

A conflict has different phases. It begins with noticing the differences between the parties and the emergence of a trigger factor, which generates the clash. That's where the conflict begins, which materialises in arguments, verbal disagreements, and other signs that show the fight has already started.

During the development of a conflict, individuals express their differences and present their reasons. If, at that moment, the situation can be steered back on track, it could lead to an agreement, finding a common area of interest: the solution to the problem.

If the parties are not able to make concessions and seek the global good, the well-being at work, and if no one intervenes from the organisation to prevent the escalation of the labour dispute, it will advance. And it will do so, dragging other people along with it and prolonging itself in time, thus making the resolution of labour disputes impossible.

The longer it takes to resolve a situation of this kind, the more complex it becomes and the greater its negative consequences. Even the smallest of problems, if not controlled at the right time, can lead to a great war and divisions.

What are its causes?

As we were saying, the causes of workplace conflicts can have a very diverse origin. From a difference in thought processes to a varying perception of reality; from the attitudes of some to the lack of understanding from others.

Conflicts of interest are also frequent in the business world; as are disputes resulting from excessive pressure. They are types of labour disputes which are common examples in organisations.

A conflict can change relationships and turn good colleagues into enemies, and their associates into members of two factions that would destroy the health of the workplace climate.

What types of workplace conflicts can there be?

In addition to the different types of labour disputes based on their causes, which we have just seen, there are other ways to classify these situations that put the company's harmony at risk.

Depending on those involved, there are three types, which must be analysed and understood if you want to succeed in resolving workplace conflicts:

1. Interpersonal Conflict. It involves the parties concerned, who may hold roles at the same level within the organisation, or have a superior–subordinate relationship. Occasionally, this type of conflict will involve people who are not on the payroll, such as suppliers, distributors, partners, or even the company's customers.
2. Intradepartmental Conflict. This type of dispute involves several people from the same work area and may have arisen from an unresolved interpersonal conflict between two of its members.
3. Interdepartmental conflict. This type of conflict is discussed when the tension generated by disagreement or differences involves different people from different areas, hampering both functions and damaging the company's atmosphere to a greater extent.

According to your results, workplace conflicts can end badly, for example, with complaints, loss of talent, or customer churn. That's why it's so vital to know how to carry out workplace conflict resolution quickly and efficiently.

Resolving workplace disputes: examples of attitudes that prevent disaster

It would be great if companies could resolve these disputes before parties had to spend money on litigation, or to prevent an employee from being dismissed or before a customer or working relationship disappeared forever..

Some conflict resolution techniques workplace (examples like the three we will see below) are as easy to apply as they are useful and help to avoid and resolve these types of frequent problems in companies in the initial stages.

Every professional responsible for managing people should aim to develop new conflict resolution skills. Examples such as the following are a good starting point:

1. Keep calm. What leads to conflict is escalation, as, as anger increases, most of us stop listening to understand. Instead, we start to employ selective listening which damages the situation. Staying calm is essential and, to achieve this, you must try to move the focus of attention away from the specific problem and look at the bigger picture. If you think about it, almost all disputes are eventually resolved. Therefore, why not start resolving them from the present moment?
2. Active listening. During a discussion, listening is often used to form a response argument to prove one's point. When most of us are confronted, the first thing we do is stop listening. The only way to resolving labour disputes is to listen carefully to what the other person is saying. You might be surprised by good arguments. Furthermore, We must try to control anger. It is a secondary emotion, which is generally triggered as a defence mechanism to cover up pain or fear. When someone is angry, there is often some pain or fear that they feel ashamed of, or that unconsciously makes them act out in rage.. Listening to him will help you build a bridge that makes it easier for you both to move towards a satisfactory solution.
3. Accentuate the positive. It is important to find or create some common ground with the other party.. As well as being useful for moving towards joint problem-solving, it's a way to empathise that serves to normalise the situation and sow calm.

The importance of a good working environment

Knowing how to manage problems, prevent misunderstandings, and effectively resolve workplace conflicts, with examples of techniques such as the three mentioned above, is fundamental in the workplace.

Furthermore, it is also important to work on the workplace atmosphere, ensuring that values such as fairness, respect or team spirit prevail.

To ensure pleasant physical conditions are maintained in the office., recognise successes and celebrate them, for example, with Edenred Gift Card, and ensuring that levels of job motivation and satisfaction remain high contributes significantly to minimising tensions that could lead to the emergence of problems between colleagues.

Have the keys to resolving labour disputes been made clear now?