Conflict in the workplace: How to take action

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At work, and especially if the conflict is with your employer or a manager, this can lead to misunderstandings and potential conflict that can stand in the way of promotion or simply a pleasant working environment.

It is how we chose to resolve conflict at work that really matters, says Andre Venter, spokesman of the trade union UASA.

Sticking a plaster on a wound

"Conflict is by nature something that needs to be resolved functionally. If not resolved properly, it equals no more than sticking a plaster on a wound in the hope that it will heal, but that in reality starts festering.

"Employment constitutes more than just taking responsibility for executing certain tasks and earning a salary. It is a relationship between employer and employee that needs to be cared for and nurtured. If you are engaged in a daily battle with your boss or a colleague, it is time to take action," said Venter.

"As a trade union, we often come across extremely unhappy members, usually as a result of dissatisfaction that has been building up inside of them, sometimes over lengthy periods of time. Sometimes the other party is not even aware of the existence of such conflict.

"If this sounds like you, living with a heavy burden of feeling unhappy about unresolved conflict at work - maybe feeling that your supervisor is victimising you or you are being treated unfairly - it is time to make an appointment with your union representative if you belong to a union.

"He has been equipped with the skills to listen and hear what your real problem is, to evaluate the situation with you and advise on a way forward. If you don't belong to a union, talk to someone you can confide in and who's sober and mature judgement you can trust."

Formulating the grievance

If, after the discussion with your union representative, you want to proceed with lodging a grievance procedure, your representative will assist you with formulating the grievance. In the case of a union member, you might even be represented when you meet with different levels of management, and the CCMA should that become necessary, said Venter.

The use of language is the single most important element towards solving a conflict situation, he said.

The natural instinct for an aggrieved employee, often in a heightened state of emotions, is to point fingers and accuse others of certain actions or reactions. This is not the most effective way of going about solving the problem.

Instead, start sentences with "I feel", or "It seems to me". Take into account that you are employed to do a certain amount of work over a certain number of hours every week, as set out in your employment contract, which you signed at accepting your position with your employer.

One could argue that there are no non-valid grievances, said Venter. While something might sound unimportant to you and I, that very same issue might the cause another person to feel very unhappy. The purpose of a grievance procedure is to allow someone to get the problem that is bothering him off his chest in order to become fully productive again.

Examples of valid grievances are promotion, sexual harassment and victimisation, he said.

Before you lodge a grievance, understand that doing so is a serious matter that should be informed by you being sincere in wanting to resolve the conflict and not just an attempt to engage in another battle with your employer trying to prove your point. Remember this piece of wisdom: "If you do something with the wrong intentions, it carries a germ of destruction - it will destroy itself."

The Labour Relations Act

To address grievances at work, the Labour Relations Act provides for a certain procedure that has to be followed. This is a well-structured common-sense process whereby an employee can communicate upwards in the hierarchy if he feels aggrieved.

There are normally two or more levels in a grievance procedure, starting with your immediate superior - even if the conflict is with your immediate superior, and ending with the most senior executive in the organisation:

• You have to complete a prescribed form, which is provided for in any grievance procedure. If the grievance cannot be resolved at a specific level, a different form is required for each level of seniority. On this form, you state the nature of your grievance and, very important, the solution that you require;

• Formulate your grievance in a polite and professional manner, starting with the words "I feel aggrieved because ... " If this is your point of departure in the formulation of your grievance, you avoid pointing fingers and your complaint has a better chance of being viewed as valid and reasonable;

• If your grievance remains unresolved, it will eventually be handled by the CEO of the company or a sufficiently senior person in the case of a large company; and

• Should any manager choose not to apply his mind to your grievance and/or different levels of management collude to try and wipe your grievance off the table, they might be doing so at their own peril, as you can refer your case to the CCMA should the problem remain unresolved. That is to say if you are convinced that your case has merit.

"At all times act professionally, be honest with yourself and maintain a proper perspective on where you fit into the hierarchy at work. Know exactly what is expected of you in terms of your contract of employment and you will gain more perspective. This does not mean that you won't have a grievance any more, but that you will tackle the problem in a calm and professional manner," said Venter.