People who are humiliated at work, shouted at or suffer discrimination have lower job satisfaction and are more likely to experience poorer mental and physical health, new research suggests.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) said its study showed that one in four employees has experienced workplace conflict in the past year.
The most common problems were being undermined or humiliated, being shouted at or having a heated argument, verbal abuse or insult or discriminatory behaviour.
The CIPD urged employers to address the underlying causes of conflict, such as poor management practices and excessive workloads.
The survey of 5,000 people found that only half of those who reported conflict were satisfied with their job.
Those who experienced conflict had less confidence in senior leaders’ ability, and less trust in them to act with integrity.
Jake Young, of the CIPD, said: “While a healthy level of discussion and debate in a workplace can be valuable, our survey suggests that workplace conflict is often much more than this, harming the job satisfaction and wellbeing of far too many.
“Line management training should be a priority for employers, so managers can foster more positive relationships in their teams and address any conflict early on, before it has a chance to escalate.
“It’s also important to pinpoint and address the underlying causes of conflict, including excessive workloads, exhaustion and pressure.”