The annual cost of workplace conflict to UK organisations is estimated to be £28.5bn, with close to 10 million people affected. Of these, 40% reported feeling less motivated, while more than half experienced stress, anxiety or depression (Acas, 2021). 

“Some level of disagreement may be hard to avoid at work, as everyone has their own viewpoint and approach,” says Kathryn Trimmer MCOptom, Lead Clinician with the Duncan and Todd Group in Scotland. “In optometry, managers are often non-registrants, and this can lead to difficult conversations with those clinically responsible in the practice, such as the optometrist. For example, a manager may wish to reduce appointment time length to improve business, causing a clinician to express concern about the impact on patients, resulting in conflict around how the practice is run.”