When reason gives way to emotion, the workplace high-flyer is like a ticking time bomb; driven to succeed, they expect others to share their goals and a lapse of perspective is likely to end in an angry outburst that has colleagues diving for cover.

Australia may be “outperforming every advanced economy during the global recession”, but the nation’s workforce has not been immune from the pressures to perform better than ever before.

The global financial crisis appears to have given rise to the new workplace phenomenon, desk rage, as employees have taken on bigger workloads, higher productivity demands and longer hours - often without reward. 

The fall-out of desk rage will leave businesses counting the cost in lost productivity, lower team morale and higher absenteeism, warns Donna, one of a team of registered psychologists employed by the executive recruitment specialist.

“Not only that, serious allegations of bullying can lead to expensive compensation claims and costly litigation. Claims for psychological injuries are frequently the most expensive type of claim, says Donna, who has more than eight years’ experience in workers compensation claim case management and occupational rehabilitation across Australia.

Workplace bullying is estimated to cost the Australian economy somewhere between $6 billion and $13 billion per year and affects approximately 4 per cent of workers annually.

Donna urges employers to reduce the risks of desk rage and other interpersonal issues by investing in scientifically-based behavioural assessments at the pre-hiring stage, and periodically throughout the Human Capital Lifecycle to assess the “psychological health” of employees and their teams.

“In recent months, many companies have streamlined or restructured their businesses and it’s very important at this time, particularly for small to medium sized businesses preparing to ride the wave of a second resources boom, to consider the benefits of internal assessments to help identify the training and development requirements of their people, “said Donna.

“Not only that, every employer needs to understand their duty of care extends beyond the physical to the psychological wellbeing of their employees,” explains Donna.

• Steps to Reduce Conflict in the Workplace
• Provide employees with clear outlines of their roles and responsibilities
• Encourage accountability by enabling employees to work autonomously
• Coach and mentor employees to manage performance
• Establish regular work reviews between the employee and the line manager
• Promote information share and channel group energy
• Map out a clear line of leadership and provide boundaries
• Reward and celebrate team performance
• Provide training and development opportunities
• Empower employees to play to their strengths
• Ensure team managers address underlying issues.