The finding comes from a survey of 1,000 employees from the South West, carried out for the DTI by the British Marketing Research Bureau.
Men came out of the survey less favourably than women, with almost one in three (28%) finding that their jokes have back-fired, compared to 19% of women, and over a quarter (26%) misjudging their timing, compared to just 13% of their female counterparts.
One in 10 workers has been in trouble with a colleague or client because they sent an e-mail to the wrong person, while 14% of respondents found themselves in difficulties because they handled a sensitive issue in the wrong way.
The survey results come ahead of the introduction of new Regulations that promote good and effective communication in the workplace, as a means of resolving disputes that can otherwise lead to an employment tribunal.
Last year, according to the DTI, Employment Tribunals dealt with 115,000 claims based on work disputes, from problems over pay and conditions, to racial and sexual harassment. Yet research shows that in over a third of cases, the individual and the manager hadn't discussed the problem at all.
The Employment Act 2002 (Dispute Resolution) Regulations come into force on 1st October, and from this date all businesses will need to have in place statutory minimum dismissal and disciplinary procedures, requiring employers and employees to follow a simple three-stage process, in order to ensure that disputes are discussed within the workplace before any further action is taken.
According to Employment Relations Minister Gerry Sutcliffe, "A more relaxed work culture and a rise in the use of modern technology such as e-mail have resulted in great benefits for business. But get the tone or timing wrong and there could be tensions and a breakdown of communication at an individual level."
"The key to any problem is to try to nip it in the bud by dealing with it when it arises and stop things escalating - that's why it is vital to have sound procedures in place to deal with disputes in the workplace," he added.