How HR can help avoid workplace disputes

Industrial relations has been a hot talking point thus far in 2025, building off some of the headline workplace disputes that led to various workforces indulging in industrial action.

On a recent episode of the HR Leader Podcast, Workvergent founder and managing industrial relations consultant Troy Gread shared some insight on how Aussie HR managers can actively avoid messy workplace disputes.

“Having worked as an HR manager in heavily industrial environments, responsibility often falls on HR when it shouldn’t. Operational leaders – supervisors, team leaders – are the ones closest to the workforce.

“HR’s role is to ensure those leaders are accountable for engaging their teams. HR exists to protect the business and manage technical components of industrial relations, but decisions and actions must sit between managers and employees. HR facilitates; it doesn’t own the process,” Gread said.

According to Gread, HR teams throughout Australian organisations must focus on ensuring that leaders are trusted by their workers – instead of overstepping and forming direct relationships with workers themselves.

“My advice: HR should focus on being close to managers and operational leaders, not the workers. Employees are more likely to trust their direct leaders, and messages are better delivered through them,” he said.

“Too often, HR oversteps by trying to get close to the workforce – that’s not their role. Operational managers must do the heavy lifting. HR managers might say, ‘Easier said than done,’ but accountability must sit with leaders, not HR.”

In tune with exerting responsibility on leaders, those same leaders must understand how fundamentally crucial employee engagement is when it comes to avoiding workplace disputes. Forming a direct relationship and trust between leaders and employees fosters those open communication lines that can dissuade conflict.

“Employers need to get around their employees. Even before the last two years, my strongest advice has always been: get your arms around your employees. Get as close to them as possible. Understand what they actually want and need, so when bargaining comes, there’s genuine interest in doing a deal – not going to war,” Gread said.

“This applies even in heavily unionised environments. You’ve got to get close to your workers. The closer you are to your employees, the closer you are to a fair and reasonable deal. If employers and employees are at war before an enterprise agreement process starts, it’s a slippery slope.”

“Employee engagement is the most important factor leading into and during any agreement. Employers must prioritise closeness with their workforce.”

The transcript of this podcast episode was slightly edited for publishing purposes.