Half (50%) of working age adults in Britain’s wholesale and retail businesses have experienced conflict at work during the past year, Acas has revealed.

The stat compared to a 44% national figure, according to the organisation.

The report, which was released as Acas marked its 50th anniversary, found that administrative and support service activities reported a 33% rate of conflict by comparison.

Within its wider report, Acas found that capability and performance issues were the most common cause of conflict (38%), followed by personal disagreements and relationship issues (33%).

Stress, anxiety and depression were the most common impact of conflict, affecting 57% of those involved, followed by a drop in motivation or commitment (49%).

Acas CEO Niall Mackenzie said: “For 50 years, Acas has been at the heart of workplace relations, helping employers and employees navigate change and find common ground even in the most challenging circumstances.”

“Our report into conflict prevalence shows that there is still a need for Acas’ experts to bring their experience and cool heads to workplace disputes.”

In September, it was revealed that a growing number of retail staff were at risk of quitting over job security, according to the Retail Trust and global consulting firm AlixPartners.

During the same month, it was reported that the Retail Trust would be granting UK shop staff and delivery drivers free training to help them handle abusive customers in the run up to Christmas.

Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter