Conflict Is on the Rise – and Emotional Reactivity Is Costing Teams

New UK research shows conflict is affecting employee wellbeing – but most teams are still relying on everyday conversations to resolve it

Conflict at work is no longer the exception – it’s becoming part of daily working life. And while some tension is inevitable in fast-moving, high-pressure environments, the way teams respond to conflict is increasingly shaping trust, performance, and wellbeing.

Recent research from Acas, one of the UK’s leading workplace relations authorities, highlights just how widespread workplace conflict has become.

Workplace Conflict by the Numbers

In a large-scale 2025/26 survey of working-age adults in Great Britain, Acas found that:

• 44% of employees experienced conflict at work in the past year

• 57% of those affected reported stress, anxiety, or depression as a result

• Just 10% used formal processes to resolve conflict

• 45% relied on informal conversations with managers instead

These figures tell an important story.

While conflict at work is rising, the vast majority of it isn’t handled through HR policies, procedures, or escalation routes. It’s handled – or avoided – through everyday communication.

Which means the real cost of workplace conflict often shows up quietly: in emotional reactivity, strained relationships, reduced trust, and conversations people dread or delay.

Why Emotional Reactivity Makes Workplace Conflict Worse

When tension surfaces at work, most people don’t struggle because they lack good intentions. They struggle because conflict triggers emotion – defensiveness, frustration, anxiety, or fear of getting it wrong.

In these moments, communication can quickly become reactive:

• Feedback is blunter than intended

• Silence replaces clarity

• Assumptions fill the gaps

• Conversations escalate – or shut down entirely

Left unaddressed, this kind of conflict can erode psychological safety and make future conversations even harder.

The good news? These patterns aren’t fixed. They’re learnable.

A Communication-First Response to Workplace Conflict

Because most workplace conflict is resolved through informal conversations, investing in communication skills isn’t optional – it’s essential.

At London Speech Workshop, we teach a practical framework called CEDAR, designed to help individuals and teams respond to conflict with calm, clarity, and connection – even under pressure.

Like the tree it’s named after, CEDAR helps you stay grounded when emotions run high, so you can choose your response rather than react instinctively.

The CEDAR Method: A Practical Way to Handle Conflict at Work

CEDAR breaks down difficult moments into five clear, human steps:

1. Check In

Notice your immediate reaction.
What are you feeling in your body? What’s your instinctive response?

2. Empathise

Consider what might be going on for the other person.
What pressures, assumptions, or emotions could be influencing them?

3. Discover

Get curious rather than certain.
What information were you missing? What questions weren’t asked at the time?

4. Address

Name the issue constructively.
What would a clear, respectful response sound like here?

5. Resolve

Agree on what happens next.
What will you do differently moving forward to prevent this tension from repeating?

Rather than avoiding conflict or escalating it, CEDAR gives teams a shared language for navigating it – one that builds trust instead of friction.

Try This With Your Team

You don’t need to wait for a major fallout to practise managing conflict at work more effectively.

Take a recent moment where tension showed up – perhaps:

• A deadline slipped

• Feedback didn’t land well

• A message was misinterpreted

As a team, walk through the CEDAR steps together:

• Check In: What was your immediate reaction?

• Empathise: What might the other person have been experiencing?

• Discover: What weren’t we seeing or asking at the time?

• Address: What would a constructive response have looked like?

• Resolve: What can we do differently next time?

Teams often use CEDAR in retrospectives, 1:1s, or after tricky moments – and over time, they notice a shift. Conversations become calmer. Assumptions are challenged earlier. Conflict feels more workable.

When Workplace Conflict Is Handled Well

Handled poorly, workplace conflict drains energy and trust.
Handled well, it can strengthen relationships, improve clarity, and deepen collaboration.

This is why organisations increasingly invest in communication coaching and conflict management training – not to eliminate conflict, but to help people navigate it with skill and confidence.

Want Support Navigating Conflict at Work?

If workplace conflict is showing up in your team – whether loudly or quietly – the right communication tools can make all the difference.

Explore how our Navigating Conflict course supports teams to speak with clarity, confidence, and impact – even in high-pressure moments.

You don’t need more policy.
You need better conversations.