New research published by ACAS has revealed why disabled workers face significantly higher rates of conflict than their colleagues. The statistics reveal that conflict is driven less by workers, disabilities and more by misunderstandings and lack of support in work place environments. This cause people to come across many difficulties and not be able to achieve their potential when carrying out work-based tasks. This can affect the productivity of the effect the amount of revenue that comes in.

The study shows that just under three quarters of disabled workers experience some kind of conflict in work place environments. This compares with just under half of the total number of adults that were surveyed over all. The statistics collected by the National Centre of Social Research explored why disabled staff reported high levels of disruption to their behaviours in the work place. The study illustrated that many of those surveyed suffered from a lack of effective support to help them conduct their duties. There were also issues with communication and reasonable adjustments which can can place major barriers in front of them when they are trying to carry out their duties.

The findings also illustrated that that awareness training, wellbeing services and counselling, along with third-party support from unions and specialist health advisors, were an effective way of resolving workplace conflict.

Julie Dennis, Acas Head of Inclusivity, said:

“Disabled workers have told us that the conflict they face at work is driven less by their condition or disability itself, and more by misunderstandings, communication difficulties and challenges in identifying and providing the right support.

“We also know that disabled workers are facing significantly higher rates of conflict than their colleagues, and Acas has seen an almost two-fold increase in disability discrimination cases compared to a decade ago.

“I would urge employers and managers to support disabled workers by identifying pressure points and having conversations as early as possible. Acas advice and training can provide the skills and knowledge to strengthen working relationships, support disabled workers and prevent disputes.”

Disabled workers gave a wide range of feedback of what they felt contributed to work place conflicts. Examples of the feedback collected included:

 A dyslexic employee said that, after colleagues complained about her reading words aloud to help with spelling, her manager moved her into what she described as a “cupboard”, leaving her feeling isolated from colleagues.

 An employee undergoing cancer treatment said they were threatened with disciplinary action for absences directly related to their condition. Reflecting on their employer’s response, they said: “It was like they’re saying that it was my choice to get a brain tumour, but it wasn’t.”

 A neurodivergent employee working in education said that disabled staff were expected to find their own way through support arrangements. They said: “You’d put all these provisions in place for the children … But then for the staff, it’s kind of like, go do it alone.”

Last year there were around thirty thousand incidents of disability discrimination in workplace surroundings. The statistics collected illustrate hoe support and management processes operate rather than the health conditions people have themselves. It found that arguments surrounding reasonable adjustments, delays when putting support in place and the lack of effective dialogue were the main triggers people faced.

Employees described a range of strategies they had experienced that they felt could help resolve conflict. These included:

 conversations with line or senior managers

 referrals to occupational health

 third party involvement, such as trade union or legal representatives

 specialist health and disability support

 workplace mediation

 changing manager or department

Acas tips for employers and managers

• Create conditions in which employees feel safe to discuss their disability or changing support needs.

• Do not assume that the same condition means the same needs. Ask, listen, and explore options collaboratively.

• Act promptly. Delays, silence and repeated requests can damage trust and make resolution harder.

• Use early, informal approaches where appropriate while maintaining fair access to formal procedures.

• Build managers’ disability confidence and conflict confidence through practical training and organisational support.

Acas says disabled employees whose conditions had a substantial impact on their daily activities were particularly exposed to workplace conflict, with the 68% figure substantially above the 44% rate for employees overall. Employees whose conditions had a more limited impact had a conflict rate of 49%.