Conflict in the workplace and the cost to your business

Labour Relations Agency (LRA) commissioned report examines the cost of workplace conflict to Northern Ireland employers.

Workplace conflict and impact on employers

Workplace conflict has a negative impact on organisational performance and the working experiences of those involved. Research commissioned by the LRA on workplace conflict in Northern Ireland suggests that disputes take up valuable time and erode organisational culture.

These challenges have arguably become more acute in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic with pressure on recruitment, retention, engagement, and productivity.

Estimating the financial cost of workplace conflict 

However, leaders and policymakers may underestimate the strategic importance of managing conflict at work. Conflict management is often unseen, taking place in the shadows and behind closed doors. Until recently, the lack of visibility has been exacerbated by a lack of robust data. This analysis of the costs of workplace conflict in Northern Ireland finds that 37% of workers experience conflict each year at a cost of £851 million.

Download the report on Estimating the Costs of Workplace Conflict in Northern Ireland (PDF, 871K).

Cost of workplace conflict podcast

To accompany this report the LRA also produced a podcast to discuss the cost of workplace conflict for employers in Northern Ireland.

Access the LRA's cost of workplace conflict podcast.

First published 26 September 2023