Relationship problems at work have been a concern among officers. They often involve difficulties getting along with colleagues due to differences in interest and values, feelings of unfair treatment by supervisors and of rejection by subordinates. There is no miracle solution to these problems but, from a psychological point of view, there are several things to be mindful of before they get out of hand or develop into a mental health hazard.

1. Avoid premature judgement
CID officer Ah-Chung was transferred to Uniform Branch duties after serving the Crime Unit for more than 10 years. Upon his transfer, he was immediately branded by his new colleagues as having done something unlawful, or as possessing a weird personality. He became distressed over prolonged rejection by the others. He was eventually accepted as a dedicated and easy-going person, but the attitude change came too late to stop his stress symptoms, such as insomnia, recurrent nightmares and severe headaches, from developing.

Premature judgment and labelling leads to unnecessary conflict and long-term psychological harm. It is everybody's responsibility to respect each other and ignore gossip. What you know about a person as fact should only be considered.

2. Understand your colleagues' needs
A team of young, aggressive officers had some difficulty accepting newly transferred Ah-Keung, who was in his late 40s, but reportedly a hard worker. They perceived him as a stumbling block and were reluctant to allow him to participate in their work because he had poor English and computer knowledge. He became very anxious about work and seriously considered suicide on one occasion. Upon knowledge of his situation his Divisional Commander re-posted him to attend some basic computer training. He eventually recovered from his emotional problems and his performance was well recognised by all. He even became a PC expert, making computers his hobby. He also mixed very well with his team members.

A genuinely accepting and supportive environment can create harmonious relationships among colleagues and increase their commitment and sense of belonging.

3. Effective communication avoids unnecessary conflict
Woman Police Constable Sarah applied for a week's leave to seek urgent treatment on her deteriorating leg problems, but was scolded by her supervisor as unco-operative and accused of taking advantage of her ailment. She felt like a suspect, and was insulted. She filed a complaint against the supervisor who said later he was only unwittingly harsh on the officer. He said he was a task-oriented person only interested in encouraging productivity among his subordinates. Sarah also admitted she had not fully explained her condition to him. A mediating senior officer eventually resolved their conflict, and both parties were able to respect and accommodate each other afterwards.

Resolving differences by effective communication is the key to building constructive relationships and minimising conflict and hostile feeling among colleagues.

Relating to people can bring joy, comfort and growth in life. Dysfunctional relationships can bring misery, helplessness and frustration. Your police station can become a place where you enjoy working if relationships are handled carefully and effectively.

Seek help from the Psychological Services Group - Hong Kong Island: 2866-6206 (new address: 5/F, 111 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay); and, Kowloon and the New Territories: 2735-3739 (22/F, Ocean Building, 80 Shanghai Street, Kowloon).

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