It started with a misunderstanding

It started with a misunderstanding

Why organizations recognize conflicts far too late — and what the NVAB guideline teaches us

A manager recently told me about an employee who had been “not quite himself” for months. There was some friction within the team. A few clashes. Some irritation back and forth. Nothing serious, they thought.

Until he called in sick.

Looking back, the manager said: “I really thought it would blow over on its own.”

That is exactly where many Dutch organizations go wrong. And it is precisely what the NVAB guideline Conflicts in the Workplace Situation (2019) — discussed in a more recent TBV article — addresses.

It highlights something we all intuitively know, but rarely articulate: conflicts do not disappear by themselves. They grow. And when nobody starts the conversation, the costs grow with them.

What the NVAB guideline actually teaches us

1. Conflicts are not sudden storms — they give warning signs

The TBV article describes conflict as a process: first tension, then friction, then distance, and eventually absence.

According to the guideline, occupational physicians have a role in recognizing this development — not only treating the medical consequences. They look at communication patterns, interaction styles and unresolved tensions from previous conflicts.

It is almost as if the guideline says:

“Look at what is happening beneath the surface before someone goes under.”

2. Conflict always affects work ability

Not because people are weak, but because nobody can function at their best in an environment where tension remains unresolved.

Conflicts can lead to:

• sleep problems,

• stress,

• reduced concentration,

• fear of discussing what is really going on.

The result?

Sickness absence. Reduced productivity. And potentially: employees leaving.

3. Prevention is not an optional extra — it is strategic policy

The guideline makes clear that organizations should include conflict in their risk assessment and prevention policy (RI&E). Not only bullying or aggression, but also relational and organizational conflicts.

When more than 20% of employees experience tension, that is not simply “workplace hassle”. It is a signal that the system is under strain.

Training, communication skills, clear responsibilities and timely support are not soft measures. They are investments in continuity, health and sustainable employability.

Why this matters for Dutch employers

We work in a time where employees are scarce, workloads are high, absence rates are increasing and teams are under growing pressure.

In that reality, conflict is not noise. It is a risk.

A risk that increases absence costs, damages collaboration, slows innovation and drives talent away.

The NVAB guideline offers something valuable:

A professional, medical and organizational framework that helps organizations stop viewing conflict as an isolated incident — and start seeing it as part of healthy employment practice.

The core message

If we wait until conflict becomes a sickness absence case, we are too late.

If we wait until HR or an occupational physician identifies someone as “no longer functioning”, we are too late.

The guideline shows:

It often starts with a misunderstanding — and it only ends when someone is willing to start the conversation.

Finally

Conflicts are part of working together. How we deal with conflict determines the difference between absence and growth, between employees leaving and being retained, between stress and development.

At Result ADR, we help organizations with exactly this process: recognizing conflicts early, making them healthier and more manageable, so people can continue doing what they do best.

Would you like to explore what your organization needs? I would be happy to think along with you.