A respectful workplace policy ensures that all employees are treated fairly and respectfully. Moreover, it prevents employees from engaging in behaviour that can offend or intimidate anyone, including bullying, discrimination, harassment, and more.
A strong workplace policy can lead to improved organizational performance. Fair and respectful workplace policies create better work environments that can improve company culture, boost morale, and increase overall performance in the workplace.
How to Build a Respectful Workplace Policy
A healthy working environment that respects employees can lead to better organizational success, improved communication, increased employee engagement, increased productivity, and reduced stress.
Here’s what you need to know about creating a respectful workplace policy.
Review Current Policies
What are your organization’s current policies? How does your current policy promote respect in the workplace?
Not only can reviewing your policy ensure that you comply with regulations in your province, but it can also help you uncover new growth opportunities. These new opportunities can help you better define your goals for how to create a better, more respectful workplace.
A full assessment and review of your current policy is also a great way to resolve challenges your organization is experiencing, improving workplace culture and employee engagement.
By reviewing your workplace policy, you can bring more awareness to respect in the workplace. When employees are aware of the best practices and what they can do to create a more respectful workplace, it can increase engagement and retention.
How do the behaviours of the people in your workplace affect the organization? When you bring more awareness to respect in the workplace, you can create a culture that aims at creating a fair and equal environment for all.
Employee and Manager Training
Effective employee and manager training and development play a critical role in creating a workplace environment that focuses on respect.
With the right training, employers can create new practices that fit the organization’s culture and goals. Training can also increase awareness and help organizations find new strategies to overcome challenges, build stronger relationships, and improve employee retention.
Proper training can promote changes in behaviour and help employees better understand what a company considers a fair, respectful environment.
For example, this type of training or development can include discussions, activities, role-playing, group training, and more.
Open Communication
When you encourage employees to share ideas, it encourages open communication, leading to more respect in the workplace.
Similarly, open communication can also help people feel free to voice their concerns.
When everyone is clear on the definitions of discrimination and harassment—and what constitutes a respectful workplace—it opens the door for improved employee engagement and interactions.
Acknowledge Employees
Employees have lives outside of work, and it is essential to understand that their personal lives can also affect their professional lives.
To create a healthy and respectful work environment, organizations should have things in place that allow employees to get assistance when needed. Having this in place as a part of your workplace policy can help achieve more work-life balance and happier employees.
Acknowledging employees and building rapport with them plays a significant role in workplace respect and is something all organizations should work towards. The definition of discrimination and harassment in the workplace should always be clear, and the workplace policy should reflect this.
Your workplace policy should include anti-bullying and harassment policies, clear definitions of what harassment and discrimination are, and clarity on pay structure, promotions, and pay increases.
Above all, creating a respectful workplace policy that focuses on respect and fairness can improve employee morale and ultimately help you achieve organizational success.
ACTivate HR is Driven to Create Exceptional Workplaces
We work with clients to help them reach the best outcome for their organizations. We pride ourselves on designing human resources strategies that improve organizations, accelerate productivity, and create a cooperative and supportive culture. If you need help building a respectful workplace policy or with any of your HR needs, reach out. Contact us today to learn more.
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