Latest news with #workplaceconflict
Irish Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Builder awarded €9,000 for unfair dismissal after calling employer a ‘sneaky rat'
A builder who was fired after calling his employer a 'sneaky rat' in a row on site has won €9,000 for unfair dismissal. David Donohoe secured the award under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 on foot of a complaint against SJK Civils Ltd, where he had worked for 13 years until he was sacked in April 2024. Mr Donohoe told the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) at a hearing in January that he was sacked on the spot from the €50,000-a-year job when he got into a dispute with his employer about working hours on April 5th last year. He said he was told to start work at 5.30am that day, an hour and a half earlier than his usual 7am. He was told to go to Dublin to collect building materials and bring them to a site, he said. READ MORE When he arrived with the material, he said, he was told he was expected to work until his usual finishing time of 3pm, despite the early start. He declined to do so, after which his employer 'started giving out', he said. 'I called him a sneaky rat, that he had it all planned,' Mr Donohoe said in his evidence. 'He lost it again and said: 'Go home and don't come back in Monday', so I tipped up the material and went home,' Mr Donohoe said. The company's director, who was not identified in the decision, maintained that Mr Donohoe was sent away from the site on April 5th, 2024, but was not dismissed from his employment until April 19th. The director said Mr Donohoe wrote to him looking for a letter for the social welfare office to say he 'was sacked or whatever'. The director then tried to arrange a meeting and called him to a 'capability hearing'. When Mr Donohoe did not show, the director wrote to him again and told him his failure to attend the meeting was 'failure to follow a reasonable management instruction' and that his job was being terminated for 'gross misconduct' during the April 5th incident. Mr Donohoe's solicitor, Frank Taaffe, argued the letters sent by the firm to his client were only 'seeking to mend the respondent's hand' by 'retrospectively applying a dismissal process after the fact of dismissal'. Adjudication officer Anne McElduff wrote that both parties 'contributed to the escalation of matters to the point of dismissal' on April 5th and that it was 'regrettable' there was no attempt to enter into dialogue after that. Ms McElduff's view was that Mr Donohoe should have engaged when there were attempts to launch a formal process. However, she said the company failed to refer him to the correct company policy and set an 'unreasonably short and unfair' deadline to either attend a hearing or have non-attendance be added to the charges against him. The only option for appeal was to the company director, who had been directly involved with the April 5th incident, she added. The respondent company did not discharge the burden of demonstrating Mr Donohoe's dismissal was 'fair, reasonable or proportionate, or that the process was conducted in accordance with fair procedures", she wrote. Mr Donohoe had claimed losses of €15,977 between April and August 2024, at which point he went into business for himself, the adjudicator noted. Ms McElduff decided €9,000 was 'just and equitable in all the circumstances'. She directed SJK Civils to pay Mr Donohoe that sum.
Entrepreneur
28-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
How to Use Workplace Conflict to Strengthen Your Culture
Workplace conflict is inevitable, but it doesn't need to be destructive. Follow these steps and learn how to manage conflict to create better teams and a better culture. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. When I ran my ad agency, I encouraged healthy, constructive debate. I discouraged unproductive arguments. I'm not a conflict expert, but I spent enough time as a business owner, on several boards, and running various programs to recognize when things were working and when they went awry. Once I learned that I needed to manage conflict, not avoid it, I developed tools and processes that turned most conflicts into productive outcomes. Let's face it, conflict is going to happen. Anyone who has worked with more than a few people knows this. It shows up in every workplace, at every level. It happened at my agency, and I'm willing to bet it happens at your organization, too. No matter how strong the culture is, we're still dealing with people. And people are going to clash. Put people together in a work environment, and conflict is part of the package. Sooner or later, you'll find yourself in a "passionate" or possibly tense situation with a coworker, a supervisor, a vendor or a customer. No matter who it involves, how you handle that situation will determine whether the outcome is productive or damaging. Here's the surprising part. When it's handled the right way, conflict can actually be a good thing. When it's managed with intention and clarity, conflict can lead to better communication, deeper trust and smarter teamwork. But it takes time, patience, and a real process. Here are some approaches that have worked for me, and if you put them into practice, there's a good chance they'll work for you too, helping build a stronger team and an even stronger culture. Related: 3 Things I've Learned About Hiring and Firing After 35 Years in Business Conflict is your friend The first thing you must do is normalize conflict. Conflict doesn't mean something is broken. It often means people are engaged. They care. They have opinions. In fast-paced, high-demand organizations, disagreements are inevitable. What matters is how we respond when those moments show up. Avoiding conflict doesn't make it disappear. It just sends it underground, where it does more damage. It's like noticing a crack in the foundation of your house. You see it. You know it's there. But because it's not causing immediate problems, you tell yourself it's no big deal. Meanwhile, that crack is slowly expanding, weakening everything underneath. Eventually, it shows up in places you can't ignore. Doors stop closing properly, walls start shifting and by then, fixing it is a much bigger job. Conflict works the same way. When it's buried, it spreads. Resentment builds, trust fades and collaboration breaks down. That's how good teams fall apart. Not from what's visible, but from what's been ignored. So speak up early. Respectfully. Calmly. Directly. That's how we keep the foundation strong. Look beneath the surface and use productive conflict strategies Did you know that 60% to 80% of couples' arguments are not about the surface issue, but about deeper, underlying concerns? At work, it's pretty much the same. Most conflict isn't about the obvious issue. More often, it's about a gap in communication, unmet expectations or insecurities. Maybe someone feels left out. Maybe they weren't looped in soon enough. Maybe they're worried about losing control. Before reacting, ask yourself, "What else might be going on here?" Lead with curiosity. Not assumptions. Here are seven practical ways to keep conflict from becoming chaos: 1. Start light and casual You don't always need a scheduled meeting. Sometimes, a simple check-in can prevent a situation from escalating. "Hey, I felt like we were a little bit at odds on that last project. Can we take a few minutes to regroup?" Tone matters. Come in looking to understand, not to win. That lowers defenses and opens the door to honest dialogue. Related: 5 Ways to Effectively Manage Conflict (and Stay Calm Doing It) 2. Take it private Never confront someone in front of others. I've done it and I've learned to never do it again. Pull them aside. One-on-one conversations reduce embarrassment and allow both people to be more transparent. Privacy builds trust. 3. Be direct, not harsh Get to the point without being abrasive. Don't drop hints or dance around the issue. Say what you need to say. "I've noticed some tension during meetings, and I want to understand what's behind it." Clarity without blame invites collaboration instead of conflict. 4. Use specific examples Don't label someone as difficult. Point to specific behavior. "In yesterday's meeting, when I brought up the schedule, you said, 'That'll never happen.' That felt dismissive." Stick to facts, not feelings. That keeps the conversation grounded and constructive. 5. Give people a stake Sometimes, difficult behavior is rooted in feeling powerless or left out. Give the person a role in the solution. "You've got a strong field perspective. Can I get your input before we finalize the rollout?" You're not feeding an ego, you're inviting ownership. Related: I Transformed My Company With Employee Ownership — Here's Why You Should Too 6. Set boundaries If someone crosses a line, speak up. "I want to keep working through this, but I need to feel respected while we do." Boundaries create safety, and safety leads to better conversations. 7. Know when it's toxic There's a difference between someone who's difficult and someone who's toxic. Difficult people can often be reached with communication. Toxic people manipulate, deflect and disrupt no matter what. If you've tried everything and nothing changes, it's time to make a change. Protecting the culture means knowing when enough is enough. Adapt to how others communicate Not everyone processes conflict the same way. Some people prefer in-person conversations. Others need time to respond in writing. If you've been going back and forth over email with no progress, pick up the phone. If face-to-face conversations get heated, switch to a written message. You're not changing your message. You're changing the medium so that the message is received more effectively. Related: How to Communicate to a Global Workforce Document when necessary If a pattern starts to form, whether it's good or bad, take notes. Keep a journal: what happened, when it happened and what steps you took to address it. If the issue escalates, documentation helps HR or leadership understand the full context. It's not about winning the blame game. It's about being prepared. Lead by example Remember this, people around you are watching how you handle conflict. Are you calm under pressure? Are you respectful, even when you disagree? Do you listen? Do you ask meaningful questions? Your example sets the tone. Teams don't just learn from training. They learn by observing. Be an example of what respectful conflict resolution looks like, and others will follow your lead. Conflict can be a catalyst Remember that conflict isn't bad, and it's not the opposite of collaboration. It's often the first step toward it. When addressed early and handled correctly, conflict can clarify expectations, improve processes and even deepen trust. So the next time you're in a tense moment, take a breath. Take a step back. And remember, this isn't just a problem to fix. It might be an opportunity to lead, connect and build something better. Because the best teams aren't the ones that avoid conflict, they're the ones that know how to move through it together.
Independent Singapore
28-05-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
‘My ex-boss is spreading lies about me' — Woman says her former boss is falsely claiming she ‘mismanaged' the company, so he fired her, despite a peaceful resignation
SINGAPORE: A woman shared on social media that her former boss has been spreading false claims about her after she resigned from a company she believed she had left on good terms. In a detailed post on the r/askSingapore subreddit, the woman explained that she left her job at the end of 2024 after serving the standard one-month notice period. At the time of her departure, there were no signs of conflict or tension, and she assumed everything had ended amicably. However, weeks after her departure, troubling rumours began to reach her through former colleagues and people in her professional network. To her surprise, she discovered that one of her ex-bosses had allegedly been telling others that she had 'mismanaged' the company, that he could 'sue her' for alleged misconduct, and that she had been 'fired.' Shocked by the allegations, she clarified in her post that none of those claims were true. 'I resigned and served my notice. I got to know him because a friend I made while working there was shocked when I told him that I had to serve one month's notice. My boss had told my friend that I was fired, which, by right, didn't require any notice period.' She went on to describe her former boss as notorious for being toxic, alleging that he lacked management skills, had a 'horrible' temper, and was known for 'badmouthing' people he didn't like. While she admitted the false narratives 'annoyed' her, especially when former colleagues brought them up during casual conversations, she said she had since 'moved on' with her life and didn't feel the need to confront the issue directly. Still, the experience left her unsettled, prompting her to ask the online community for advice. 'I just wanted to know your opinion. What would you do?' she wrote. 'Best to just ignore it totally and move on…' Many Redditors weighed in with their thoughts, noting that situations like this are quite common, especially in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Some pointed out that former employees are often blamed for problems once they're no longer around to defend themselves. Others, meanwhile, encouraged her to take the high road and focus on moving forward. One Redditor said, 'Best to just ignore it totally and move on. This is not uncommon, and please do not take it personally. No fault of yours. By ignoring, you're being the bigger person. Unless it's defamatory, you can always seek legal advice if there is evidence.' Another commented, 'Don't have to do anything. Your worth will be proven by your own merits out there, especially in a smaller industry.' A third wrote, 'You can't defend yourself when you're not there, and it's very convenient to make a person who left the company the sink of all problems. The most you can do is to clarify with those you want to remain connected to, whose opinions you care about. Of course, with receipts to back it up.' Dealing with defamation For others who may find themselves in similar situations, it is worth knowing that legal action is an option. According to The Singapore Lawyer website, individuals who intentionally spread defamatory content can be taken to civil court. If proven, they may face penalties ranging from a fine to a prison term of up to 24 months. Read also: 'Should I ask for an increment after probation?' — Fresh hire wonders if he should ask for a salary raise after his boss increased his workload
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
Woman Gets Annoyed After 'Pathetic' Co-Worker Reports Her for Using Phone in the Office. But Commenters Give Her a Warning
A woman says that a coworker anonymously reported her to a manager for talking to delivery drivers through her doorbell cam app while at her desk The woman, who shared her story on a community forum, claims she has only done this a 'handful' of times and says she thinks the person who reported her is 'a bit pathetic' While some post commenters agreed with the woman, others said they think she should take the note more seriouslyA woman says a co-worker reported her for using her phone at the office, and she now worries things will get 'awkward.' The woman detailed her experience in the 'Am I Being Unreasonable?' forum on the U.K.-based community site Mumsnet, a place where people can go to seek advice from others about a host of topics. In her post, the woman explains that she works in a 'fairly large office' with a 'common sense approach to personal phone usage.' 'No one sits at their desk and takes lengthy personal calls, but management accepts there will be times people need to check/use their phones briefly, and that for anything longer, they'll step away from their desk or wait for breaks and lunch,' she adds. The original poster (OP) goes on to say that she recently had a one-on-one with her manager, and the manager mentioned that another co-worker had complained that the OP 'conversed with delivery drivers' using her doorbell cam app. The OP admits this has happened a 'handful of times,' but also says she generally schedules packages to arrive on her work-from-home days. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! 'My manager was clear she doesn't have an issue with my phone usage, and obviously she can't tell me who reported it, although I have an idea,' she continues. 'Am I wrong to find them reporting this a bit pathetic?' the OP asks at the end of her post, adding, 'It just risks an awkward atmosphere when we are generally a fairly harmonious team.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. A number of commenters said they don't think the OP is being unreasonable — and also noted that the manager should not have passed the note along if the phone usage is a non-issue. 'I think if it's clear that your manager doesn't have an issue, she should not be discussing it with you at all. She should have put an end to it,' one person said. 'Your manager did not have to bring that up if she sees no issue,' added someone else. However, other commenters brought up the possibility that the manager might be more bothered by the OP's phone usage than she let on, but blamed someone else to avoid an uncomfortable conversation. 'This is the kind of thing my manager would say if it was bugging him. He'd make out that someone had complained,' said one person. Another person agreed, adding, 'Managers do sometimes say that 'someone' reported something when actually it's them that has an issue with it. So I'd be a bit careful [as] this could be a possibility.' Read the original article on People
Independent Singapore
11-05-2025
- General
- Independent Singapore
How do I work with a ‘petty colleague' who started treating me poorly because of a delay in my replying to her text message?
SINGAPORE: A frustrated employee took to Reddit to share how a petty colleague started acting up over a delayed text reply. On Saturday (May 10), she posted on the r/askSingapore to seek advice from her fellow locals. According to her post, she had been assigned to co-lead a project with this colleague, and part of the task involved bringing two other team members on board. As the project involved a lot of backend coordination, including sending emails, making phone calls, and liaising with external parties, she was understandably tied up with those responsibilities. While she was in the middle of handling those tasks, her colleague texted her to ask for the contact numbers of the two teammates who were meant to support them. However, she only managed to see and respond to the message around 30 minutes later after finishing what she was working on. 'I did not see the message until about 30 minutes later as I was busy,' she wrote. 'As a result (because of the delay in replying), she now treats me like someone who doesn't know their stuff at work.' Since that incident, her colleague has reportedly been undermining her during discussions, constantly nitpicking her contributions, and shooting down her suggestions. 'To think this person is in their 40s and still behaves like that… what would you do if you were me?' she asked at the end of her post. 'Don't fight pettiness.' In the comments, many advised her not to let the colleague's behaviour get under her skin. 'No need to be bothered by such a colleague. Too free and petty. It'll show in their work eventually. 30 minutes is not very long for someone who is busy. But maybe it feels long for someone like her who's too eng (free),' one said. 'Don't fight pettiness, la, no way to win if you go down to their level,' another stated. Others, however, took a more assertive stance and encouraged the employee to push back against unreasonable behaviour. 'Why can she not email and ask the other two people?' one individual asked. 'Tell her you can't and shouldn't share others' personal numbers without their prior consent either. Avoid using personal numbers for work unless necessary.' Another suggested, 'Next time she texts/messages you, take two working days to reply. She cannot wait? Make her wait longer.' Still, there were a few commenters who tried to look at the situation from both perspectives. One wrote, 'Did you apologise for the delayed response, assuming it was an urgent ask? If yes, then she's being petty. If not, then you contributed to it.' Dealing with a petty colleague According to The Financial Diet , one of the most effective ways to deal with a petty or passive-aggressive colleague is to avoid engaging in their behaviour. When you choose not to react to their antics (like sarcastic comments or constant nitpicking), they often lose interest because they are not receiving the emotional reaction/response they're craving for. Passive-aggressive individuals tend to thrive on subtle conflict and drama, and by staying calm and composed, you take away their source of power. However, if ignoring the behaviour does not improve, career experts recommend addressing the issue directly but respectfully. Instead of mirroring their negativity, calmly acknowledge the situation and set clear boundaries. For example, if your colleague is nitpicking your work because of a late reply, you could say, 'I was tied up with tasks and didn't see your message immediately. If there's any confusion, I'm happy to clarify.' By confronting the issue in a professional and composed way, you shift the tone of the interaction. This signals that you are aware of what is happening and are choosing to address it maturely rather than let it fester. Often, this change in approach can prompt the colleague to drop the passive-aggression and communicate more respectfully. However, if the behaviour continues despite your efforts, it may be worth raising the issue with a supervisor or HR to prevent further disruption to your work. Read also: My wife's office manager keeps spiking her drink, yet the company still keeps the manager around Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)
