VICTORIA (Times Colonist) -- Generational clashes are becoming a fixture of the Canadian workplace, as those born when Jimmy Stewart was a rising silver-screen star share office space with colleagues who could pass for their grandchildren and great grandchildren. For the first time in history, four distinct generations are trying to share the same job-front, a new survey reveals.

Nearly half of Canadians who work in multi-generational offices say they have experienced "a clash" with an older or younger colleague -- a significant number considering nine in 10 Canadian workplaces employ up to four generations of workers, according to the poll by Monster Canada. "Conflicts occur because each generation brings to the workplace its own set of values, beliefs, life experiences and attitudes," according to the survey.

The sparring generations include traditionalists (born 1922-1945), baby boomers (born 1946-1964), generation Xers (born 1965-1980) and generation Yers (born 1981-1999).

Four out of 10 employees surveyed say a multi-generational workplace "adds some challenges to the job" and gen Xers and Yers found baby boomers the most difficult to work with. Generational workplace friction is the product of different priorities, said Laurent M. Lapierre, a human-resources expert at the University of Ottawa's Telfer School of Management. "Baby boomers really put a lot of emphasis on hours worked and face time, while gen Xers want more flex time to be with their family and to have life balance -- they want their organizations to be supportive of this. Since baby boomers take up a lot of the managerial positions, the chances are they're creating the work culture, and their expectations will create conflict." But Susan Hayes, general manager of working.com, says the blending of multiple generations in the workforce is a positive thing. "Each generation brings a different perspective ... when those perspectives are put together they create a stronger, more dynamic team," she said. "It's all about tolerance and appreciating different perspectives. You're not necessarily going to always see things the same way, but if you try and open up your mind

[you can] appreciate that different generations have different

[ideas]." For those companies looking to ease tensions, Lapierre suggested actively cultivating bonds between employees of all ages. "Sit them in the same room and present a common goal to everyone," he said. "Help them realize it's the same goal but they'll take a different path to get there. Each person will show different priorities and each person will have different limitations and that needs to be recognized."

But with increasingly hectic work schedules, not everyone has the time to participate in boardroom therapy sessions.

Hayes said the essential strategy to avoid generational conflict can be summed up by one word: tolerance. "I think the strategy is all about tolerance ...

[people] just need to respect one another's perspectives," she said.

Still, some workers aren't content to depend on their colleagues' goodwill. Rikke Wivel, a spokesperson for Monster Canada, said it's highly important for employers to have a strategy in place to address workplace friction. "

[Employers] can't ignore generational tensions or they'll lose their talent. If there's conflict at work, people jump," she said. "Awareness is key. The generations are so different and they need to understand there's no right or wrong approach. You'll get traditionalists who feel lucky to have a job working alongside gen Yers who feel the company is lucky to have them -- they're all 'American Idols'."