Page 74 - Lighting Magazine December 2019

CONQUERING
Tension in the workplace can torpedo even the most successful companies. Here are expert suggestions for resolving the most common scenarios. BY MARY JO MARTIN
orkplace conflict creates emotional stress for employees, politicizes the office, and diverts attention away from an organization’s mission. Em-
ployers can’t afford — literally — to ignore these conflicts as they can escalate beyond internal issues and into expensive legal action.
And as recruiting, retaining, and engaging quality employees are becoming central to business own- ers’ strategies to remain relevant, conflict resolution must be taken as a serious concern. According to a recent survey, just over 50 percent of employees describe themselves as disengaged and that same number said they were just waiting for an opportu- nity to leave their current situation.
Before we talk about solutions, let’s take a look at side effects that can result from workplace conflict. Not surprisingly, absenteeism tops the list. Just
like school days, there is a temptation to “play hooky” when people feel picked on or just plain miserable. Scheduled vacations are fine, but un- planned absences can drive employers’ costs up, creating a need for replacement/substitute em- ployees, causing even higher stress levels between team members, and lowering overall employee performance.
Turnover is another, longer-term result. No one really wants to stay in a toxic environment any longer than necessary. Whether you know it or not, there may be a stream of people just waiting for an opportunity elsewhere before they walk out your door. This most often occurs when employ- ees don’t trust the management team or perceive
they’re acting unfairly toward others in the work- place. The statistics tell the story. Companies with a healthy corporate culture have less than 14-percent turnover, while those who don’t average nearly 50 percent!
And just like absenteeism, turnover costs money. There are recruiting and training expenses when bringing new people on board, performance costs while they are learning their roles, and often a loss in productivity among the rest of the team who may not be pleased with the turn of events or new staff dynamics. A recent survey estimates the cost of re- placing entry-level employees as between 30 and 50 percent of their salaries; nearly 90 percent of companies spend $15,000 to $25,000 to replace a single departed Millennial employee.
70 enLIGHTenment Magazine | DeceMber 2019
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