Tackling Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination (BHD) in an organization
13 November 2023
Blog one of Eight - by Dilshad Banu Mohideen
I would say that I had been very lucky when it
comes to my career path as I had the privilege to work for the employers who
took the BHD very seriously and there was mechanism to report and find
immediate solutions to prevent escalation of BHD. Despite this, I have been a
victim and sometimes a bystander of BHD time to time, but these were one-time
incidents which I chose to ignore.
Should we ‘
This is a big question and how comfortable are we
to report BHD? We avoid as the work environment become very uncomfortable if we
do so. Specially, if the BHD comes from the colleagues higher in the
organizational chart. Does every
workplace give importance to BHD and does every workplace has a mechanism to
deal with BHD complaints? In an ideal world every workplace should have a
mechanism to tackle this issue and this is a fundamental right of an
employee.
I will touch upon various topics in my series of
this blog post to draw the importance of minimizing the impact of BHD in
organizations. The most important topic in this whole series is to understand
the importance of ‘RESPECT.’
Respect at the workplace
Respect is at the heart of all human needs.
Irrespective of hierarchies, as employees and colleagues, we all have a right
to be respected, valued and included. The Oxford dictionary defines respect as
‘due regard for the feelings, wishes or rights of other’. This should be one of
the core values in any organization. This should be integrated with other values
and the management should hold high responsibility to ensure this value is
upheld in all circumstances.
Respect is critical in every interaction. Respect
means you care about others, their beliefs and opinions. You care enough to
think how you and your behavior might impact them and you accept them as they
are and for who they are, even when they differ from you.
Human connection is definitely built by mutual
trust and respect. We cannot connect with others if we don't respect each other,
and it runs both ways. Respect is totally connected with communication and feedback.
One of the sincerest forms of respect is always listening to what another has
to say, carefully. This is why I believe communication and constant feedback is
key in a work environment. People need to feel they have been listened and valued.
Building
trust in the organization
Trust is the foundation for building strong teams,
creating a positive work culture and producing continuous productive results.
Trust is built when the employees feel the below 3 emotions:
Everyone in the organization has a responsibility
to create a respectful and inclusive environment. If you treat people in a way
that makes them, feel valued, safe, and included, you give them respect.
This is possibly one of the most important best practices to remember.
If the employees do not feel valued, safe, and included, they will not trust
the organization.
Do you agree? Your feedback is important for me continue with my blog.
References:
Praslova, L.N., Carucci, R. and Stokes, C. (2022). How Bullying Manifests at Work — and How to Stop It. [online] Harvard Business Review. Available at: https://hbr.org/2022/11/how-bullying-manifests-at-work-and-how-to-stop-it. [Accessed 07 Nov.2023]
University of Mary Washington
(2011). Workplace bullying. [online] Administration and Finance |
Human Resources. Available at: https://adminfinance.umw.edu/hr/employee-relations/respectful-workplace-policies/workplace-bullying/.
[Accessed 07 Nov.2023]
Fair Work Ombudsman (2022). Bullying in the workplace. [online] www.fairwork.gov.au. Available at: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment-conditions/bullying-sexual-harassment-and-discrimination-at-work/bullying-in-the-workplace. [Accessed 09 Nov. 2023]
CIPD. (n.d.). CIPD | On
this page. [online] Available at: https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/factsheets/harassment-factsheet/.
[Accessed 10 Nov. 2023]
Thank you for your valuable thoughts Mahesh. Tackling BHD is very important for the success of any organization. I will try to find answers how this can be tackled through my blogs. My personal opinion is that anti BHD policy in every organization should be made compulsory by law.
ReplyDeleteVery insightful! However, in addition to ethical framework mentioned in the blog, which is varying from organization to organization, some countries do have law in placed to stop the workplace discrimination. For an example, in the USA law in place from an act. Refer below extract from law.cornell website to understand how severely law in placed to eliminate employee discrimination.
ReplyDeleteTitle VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a federal employment law that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), and national origin. Title VII gives employees a private right to action. However, such claims cannot be brought against a specific individual, such as a supervisor.
(Reference: law.cornell, N/A)
Title VII (no date) Legal Information Institute. Available at: https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/title_vii (Accessed: 19 November 2023).
Management plays a critical role in creating a culture of respect. Leaders should set the example by demonstrating respect in their interactions with employees, colleagues, and clients. They should also create a environment where respectful behavior is expected and rewarded. (trupphr.com, 2023)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the share. I feel in order for people to trust the employee, he/she must generate respect at the workplace. As an employer the extension of respect and trust must be extended at the point of hiring itself and even during the hiring process. Employees within the organization would naturally have respect once they associate the employee and thereby generate respect and thereafter comes the trust buildup.
ReplyDeleteThis is a good one. The best practices should be created by the culture of the company.
ReplyDeleteIgnore - Standing up to someone at work can go wrong for the person as if he has a strong backing with other colleagues, it could go against you. In times like that ignoring would be the best thing to do. However there has to be processes in place to help victims speak up so that it isn't continuous. Companies of late have been adapting such approaches.
ReplyDelete