Managers busy running their organisations are vulnerable to complications that can crop up unnoticed through simple daily human interactions in the workplace. Issues can be very difficult with areas of danger including discrimination, sexual harassment, misconduct and conflict of interest. When ignored or left unaddressed, these problems fester over time, often becoming contentious or even litigious. In addition to potential lawsuits and legal hassles, these workplace issues can lead to a host of mental and physical repercussions for the employees dealing with them. That’s not all, the leader or manager is also likely to experience stress, not least because the team is unlikely to be able to perform optimally.

Common adverse effects include exhaustion, lack of cohesion among workers, resentment, inadequate motivation to perform and increased absenteeism. A business performs at its best when employees are working together in harmony and according to the organisastion’s policies. Internal problems differ hugely in gravity, ranging from subtle digressions from acceptable behaviour to flagrant violations of company regulations. A negative workplace environment adversely impacts employee morale and tarnishes the company image. A business can easily lose its hard-won reputation in a matter of days or even within hours in the event of a scandal.

Internal workplace frictions are often the cause of depression and anxiety and can be disruptive, time consuming and expensive to resolve.

According to a news report in the Business Insider, Australia, nearly 3 million people nationwide report suffering from work-related anxiety or depression. The report estimates that at least 100, 000 valuable work hours are lost and mental health issues cost Australian businesses 12.6 billion dollars a year. Perth Now reported that ‘mental stress claims by public servants have risen by 40 percent in two years with work pressures, harassment and exposure to violence and trauma behind more than $28 million in compensation claims’.

These mind-boggling numbers signify that it’s vitally important to nip potential problems in the bud. Many times, common issues such as lack of communication, intimidation or misconduct can involve whole teams and have a huge impact on daily business operations as well as on employee health.

A professional consultant can help to resolve contentious issues using fair and transparent processes. Managers and employers can expect several tangible benefits when they use the services of external, independent consultants and mediators to resolve workplace issues. By utilising professional, honest and trustworthy processes, they are able to gather information, discover the root of the conflict, nurture communication between parties before suggesting suitable solutions.

Conflict resolution and mediation practitioners are especially helpful when parties have a history of acrimony and disagreement. Professional consultants are particularly trained to use their knowledge of impasse breaking strategies in order to open up communication between conflicting parties.

Crucially, while our consultants and mediators are handling the matter, managers and employers are able to concentrate on their day to day tasks with peace of mind. Business operations need not be disrupted any more than absolutely necessary. In days of rising costs of business and living, every dollar is valuable; why waste your time, effort and money trying to deal with stressful internal issues? Seeking early intervention is a proactive step towards positive, decisive and speedy problem resolution. Removing the worry of coping unsupported allows managers to focus on important tasks that require their experience, skill, time and attention.
At ESN, our trained team is richly experienced working with both private and government clients to examine problems at hand and implement innovative and timely solutions to resolve workplace issues. We understand that every complication is different and we treat every client with the courtesy and attention that they deserve. Please feel free to contact us for further details regarding our impressive range of investigation, mediation, conflict resolution and coaching services.

References:
www.perthnow.com.au, Stressed public servants fuel compo claims, October 15, 2018; http://businessinsider.com.au/corporate-australia-stress-anxiety-depression-medibio-2018-4