Issues of workplace civility and sexual harassment have received considerable attention in the media in recent weeks, highlighting the need for managers and employees to review the rules of workplace behaviour.
Sharone Bar-David, president of Toronto-based Bar-David Consulting, says people must first recognize that there are differences between workplace incivility and sexual harassment.
Workplace incivility, says Bar-David, results from seemingly insignificant behaviour that can be taken as rude or inconsiderate, and for which the intent to harm is unclear. This kind of behaviour, she says, happens all the time.
Seemingly harmless gestures, Bar-David says, such as rolling your eyes or appearing to ignore the other person can be perceived as being rude. “So, incivility exists everywhere,” she says. “It’s just a matter of how much and to what extent people can talk to one another when issues arise.”
Bar-David, whose firm deals exclusively in resolving these kinds of issues, has a general rule for how to measure how much incivility is too much: simply ask yourself how your clients would react if they saw this kind of behaviour between two of your team members. Would it affect your client’s decision to remain with your company as a client?
If the answer is yes, Bar-David says, “then that behaviour has to go.”
Canada is home to many cultures, each with its own characteristics. But it’s a mistake, Bar-David says, to excuse rude behaviour with the view that it reflects a cultural difference. Every culture has tenets equivalent to the “golden rule” of behaviour: “Love thy neighbour as thyself.” So, she adds, it’s misleading to think that diversity means that a person’s culture is rude.
In addition, if there are culturally based habits that are different from what you think is appropriate for your office, then it is up to you to exhibit the kind of behaviour the rest of the office should emulate, and coach your team on office culture and acceptable behaviour.
While developing a policy on civility may be a tricky process, Bar-David says, every company should have a written organizational statement that outlines the company’s values, such as respect, community and teamwork.
Taking steps to prevent incidents of incivility is worthwhile. Such incidents can be costly – in morale, work performance and person-hours.
Bar-David cites a study published in 2013 that found that both motivation and ability are affected by workers on the receiving end of incivility. In that study, 48% of employees who experienced such an incident decreased their work effort intentionally; 47% decreased the time spent at work; and 38% decreased the quality of their work.
As well, 80% lost time worrying about the incident; 63% lost time avoiding the offender and 66% said their performance declined.
Workplace incivility happens everywhere, according to Bar-David. Sexual harassment, on the other hand, does not occur in all companies.
Larger companies must, by law, have sexual harassment policies in place, Bar-David says.
While many new employees sign off on these documents when they first arrive, few remember them just a few months down the road.
“A respectful workplace can only be run through the reiteration of these ideas,” Bar-David says. “Policies are the first step. But policies can gather dust on a shelf while the culture is like the Wild West. The culture you create has to match your policies.”
Smaller firms can emulate larger companies in creating their own harassment policies, and always include the company’s own set of values in the policy.
A good harassment policy, according to Bar-David, should contain:
– An overarching declaration of the intent of the policy, such as creating a workplace that is safe and free of harassment.
– A definition of harassment. Although most policies follow human-rights legislation, you always should include “unwelcome behaviour” in your definition, and provide examples of what that means.
– The roles and responsibilities of people in various positions, such as managers.
– A complaint procedure.
Bar-David acknowledges that some people may feel these kinds of policies go too far and that people are becoming too “politically correct,” thus stifling normal interaction between people.
“There is still [room],” Bar-David says, “to have laughter and banter and closeness in the workplace without crossing lines that make other people feel uncomfortable. You can’t perform at your best when someone in the next cubicle is making all sorts of lewd comments, whether they are directed at you or not.”
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