Concerns With Fellow Employees At Work

Morality and Ethics in the Workplace

Posted by Lucy Benton | 5 years ago Management, Recruiting

Many employers are concerned about how their employees behave at work.

And they should be! How an employee behaves toward customers can have a major impact on whether or not those customers ever come back; how an employee behaves toward other employees could result in lawsuits; and how an employee behaves with suppliers could result in a criminal prosecution.

There’s a lot at stake for employers when it comes to making sure that employees behave the way the company desires. We want employees to be both ethical and moral. The problem is that these words have different meanings to different people.

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Ethics vs. Morals

Although these terms are often used interchangeably by many people, they in fact have very different meanings. According to the website Diffen, which compares things unbiasedly, ethics is:

“The rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc. It defines how thing are according to the rules.”

The same website defines morals as:

“Principles or habits with respect to right or wrong conduct. It defines how things should work according to an individuals’ ideals and principles.”

Ethics are external constructs, while morals are internal beliefs that have been formed by personal experience and learning.

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We Can Enforce Ethics

Ethics are defined by company practices and also common practice. A company can enforce ethical behavior by first defining what it means to be ethical in that specific organization.

Some common ethics that most companies will want to enforce include the following: you don’t lie, you don’t steal, you don’t cheat (on expense reports or anything else), you don’t falsify information, etc. A company can specifically state its ethics policies, and can hold employees to specific behaviors.

As in any standard reinforcement situation, you can either reward good behavior or punish bad behavior. Most companies typically do both. You can read an example of this approach in the article by Stan Mack on Chron.com called “How to Enforce Ethical Behavior in the Workplace.

” I think Mack’s approach is a bit too Draconian, and I much prefer the approach outlined in “How to Reward Ethical Behavior” on the Sustainable Business Forum, written by Matt McGonegle.

And if they don’t, they face the consequences, which can include losing their job.

They may also be fined or jailed, depending on whether their behavior also violates ethical behavior as defined by other authorities, such as the federal government.

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Employee Morals are Harder to Control

Because morals are internal and how someone was raised, it is harder to control or have an effect on someone’s morals. What I may consider to be immoral may be perfectly acceptable to someone else. Yet, we may work together as long as we do our work and abide by the ethics of the organization.

Of course, there are some immoral behaviors that spill over into the unethical. At least in American business, stealing is considered immoral and violates most ethics policies. There is even a code among thieves that you don’t steal from your fellow thief.

But there are many personal acts that people may engage in behind closed doors that a fellow employee may consider to be immoral, while others won’t. For example, gay marriage is considered immoral by some and is perfectly acceptable to others.

How you opt to deal with these issues will be guided by your own moral code and, of course, the laws of whatever state you reside in.

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Can You Screen for Ethics and Morals?

Certainly, honesty tests that have been used and validated in some situations such as courts of law, but they are not yet used on a widespread basis. You can ask candidates to undergo tests for illegal drug use, and that may screen out some who engage in behaviors you don’t want the company associated with.

One of the best screening tools I have seen used is administering a “cultural” assessment. This will give you an idea of whether a candidate is a good “fit” for your organization.

Of course, this assumes that you have a very good idea of what your company culture is, and that it has been documented.

I think the best course of action is to bring up the idea of ethics and the expectation of moral conduct during the interview process. Once the person is hired, you can then train him or her on the ethical code expected at your organization.

Then, reward ethical behavior as you see it, and administer penalties when you see the code violated. Once people learn there are consequences to their behavior, they will adjust it accordingly.

I would not worry about their moral behavior until such time as it causes an ethical violation.

What about you? How do you view ethics and morality in the workplace?

Источник: //blog.eskill.com/morality-ethics-in-workplace/

What you can and can’t do when employees discuss wages

Can your employees discuss their salaries or wages with their co-workers? Yes. Even if you have a company policy against it? Yes.

In fact, having a policy against it could get you in hot water with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) because such policies generally violate federal labor law.

The National Labor Relations Act protects employees’ rights to discuss conditions of employment, such as safety and pay even if you’re a non-union employer. The NLRB calls these discussions “protected concerted activity” and defines them as when employees “take action for their mutual aid or protection regarding terms and conditions of employment.”

For example, the NLRB issued a complaint against a diaper supply company in St. Louis that fired a worker after she discussed wages with another employee. The employer had a handbook policy against discussing wages, but it was found to be unlawful by the NLRB. As a result, the employee was given back pay and offered reinstatement, and the employer changed its handbook.

This case illustrates a common misconception — that employers can forbid employees from discussing their salaries.

Repercussions from these kinds of conversations can ripple throughout the entire company. The more you know about what you can and can’t do, the better you can protect yourself and your company.

What employers can’t do

You cannot forbid employees – either verbally or in written policy – from discussing salaries or other job conditions among themselves.

Discussing salaries is protected regardless of whether employees are talking to each other in person or through social media.

What employers can do

Of course, discussing salaries can be problematic. Conversations can evoke feelings of jealousy and inequity among co-workers who most ly are unaware of the reasons for salary differences, including education, experience and training. Suspicion, distrust and other negative emotions often result from salary discussions and seriously affect company morale.

The best way to head off those problems is to foster a positive working relationship with your employees. Consider instituting strategies these:

• Pay people fairly in the first place: Review your own records and make sure your salaries are competitive in the marketplace.
• Encourage a workplace where employees are comfortable approaching management or HR personnel with questions or observations about salaries or working conditions.
• Help employees understand their salary ranges and job potential, and inform them how additional skills, training or certifications could possibly affect their growth within your company.
• Provide resources and training for management so they are aware of labor rulings and know how to respond to employees’ questions and requests.
• Put together a complaint resolution procedure for your company that allows employees to be heard.
• Conduct internal surveys that monitor your company’s general climate, employee engagement and compensation perceptions.

Have a compensation strategy

To help give a framework to your employee compensation, your company should detail how pay decisions are made. Having a system of checks and balances can help keep wages in line with your company policies, job descriptions and industry standards.

If you discover there are employees with salary rates disproportionate with your policy or the market, it could be seen by employees as unfair.

Sometimes positions have a significant strategic importance and the pay rate can be defended as acceptable. However, these inconsistencies should be documented as part of a pay structure analysis.

It’s easier to defend a claim of unequal pay if you have objective criteria for how you base your pay decisions.

You may want to hire a third-party vendor to conduct a salary survey, which analyzes data a job description, experience, education and geography. It will give you similar jobs in the market and the pay scale – a place to start when determining what you’ll pay your employees. Repeat the salary surveys periodically to check that your wages are still in line with industry standards.

When determining compensation, there are a number of variables to consider. It can be many things:

Pay equity is a hot topic and is driving some companies to be more transparent in their compensation, from posting pay ranges (minimum to maximum) to indicating pay grades (without discussing exact figures) for jobs. Being transparent can help remove mystery regarding wage decisions and improve employee trust in management and morale.

Guidance for hiring managers

Once you determine how and what you’re going to pay employees for specific work, that information should be documented and used by hiring managers.

While you want to empower them to weigh in on salary decisions, those decisions can’t be made in a bubble. There should be a layer of approval.

Some states and cities across the country have laws in place that prohibit asking a job candidate about salary history. The thought is that your company should pay workers your formal compensation strategy, not their pay history. By relying on your company’s pay rates as the guide, it creates a more equitable pay structure.

How your HR staff can help

When an employee brings up the question of pay, consider bringing in your HR staff, which should be equipped to ask more questions and find out what an employee’s actual concerns are. It could be something other than just a matter of pay rate.

It could be a personal problem: For example, an employee’s spouse has lost a job and they’re in a bind and need more money.

It could be a matter of an employee hearing that others are getting paid more, and the issue of gender inequality could enter the discussion.

Having human resources involved sends a message to the employee that their concerns are taken seriously, and takes into consideration that additional employee assistance and support may be needed.

If you’re most companies, your employees are the backbone of your organization. Mutual trust and the feeling of being valued can go a long way in heading off problems before they escalate. With the guidance of your HR representatives and management, you should be able to handle whatever issue comes along.

How can you get the scoop on employment laws that apply to your business? Download our free e-book, Employment law: Are you putting your business at risk?

Источник: //www.insperity.com/blog/when-employees-discuss-wages/

Violence at Work

By: Abigail Taylor – Updated: 18 Jun 2019 | *Discuss

The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) define work-related violence as 'any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work.' This includes verbal abuse and threats, as well as any form of physical abuse.

Those most at risk are employees who work with members of the public. However it is important to remember that violence can also be perpetrated by fellow employees.

Duties of employers

Employers have a responsibility to their employees to make sure that they are reasonable safe at work.

Often when considering this duty, employers consider the need for work premises and any machinery to be safe. Whilst these are important considerations, employers must also consider the risk posed by other people employees will meet during the course of their employment.

Higher risk jobs (e.g. workers in care homes for adults suffering from mental illness) would be expected to have specifically assessed this risk and have specific policies and procedures in place to try to reduce the risk of and prevent violent incidents occurring. All employees should be trained on these procedures. If you have concerns, speak to your employer.

It is important that these procedures are reviewed regularly. Any accidents or near misses should be reported to your employer so that they can review whether any amendments are needed.

First steps following an incident

1. If an incident occurs, promptly report it to your manager.

   If they don't investigate the incident, make sure that you make notes of what happened, write down the names of any witnesses, and take photos of the area and any injuries

2. If you wish to pursue the matter as a criminal offence, ask your employer to report it to the police.

   If they don't do so, you can call the police yourself. (For non-emergency calls, contact the police on 101.)

3. If you have concerns about the incident being repeated, discuss ways to prevent this with your manager

Criminal action

If any violence (from a member of the public, customer or colleague) is committed against you, consider whether it is a criminal offence. Forms of violence which constitute a criminal offence may include:

• Use of racially abusive language
• Threats to kill
• Physical violence (e.g. punching / kicking, especially if injury is caused)

You may want to consider a civil action against your employer in the form of an employment law claim or an injury claim:

1. Employment law claim

If an employer fails to prevent violence at work, and you have to leave your job as a result, this could constitute a breach of contract and may result in a constructive dismissal claim.

For example: Your employer knows that a fellow employee regularly threatens you and does not take action to prevent the abuse. You are unable to work in those conditions and quit your job.

This could be constructive dismissal and you could be entitled to compensation.

Seek advice from an employment law specialist or your local Citizens Advice Bureau if you are considering making an employment claim.

2. Injury claim

If you are injured as a result of violence at work, you may be able to make an injury claim against your employer. Injuries may be physical (e.g. bruising / broken nose) or mental (e.g. a diagnosed psychological condition such as anxiety or PTSD).

Your employer is responsible for ensuring your reasonable safety at work.

If they have not taken appropriate action to do so, they may be found to have acted negligently and so be responsible for your injury. Employers are responsible for the actions of other employees, even if criminal.

Therefore if, for example, another employee assaults you at work, your employer will be liable to compensate you for any injury suffered as a result.

If you are considering this route, speak to an injury law specialist or contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau.

Work-place violence: Everybody's problem

As you will see from the above, violence at work is a serious issue for employers. Not only can work-place violence lead to injured employees requiring time off work, but employers may end up with civil claims against them.

Employees can be assured that the law is very much on their side in terms of ensuring their safety at work, which extends to protection from violence. If you have any concerns, speak to your employer and hopefully you can work together to prevent any incidents occurring.

However if any incident does occur and you are not happy with your employer's response to it, remember that you have several legal options open to you in order to resolve the situation.

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Источник: //www.safeworkers.co.uk/violencework.html

50 Amazing Office Etiquette Tips to Transform Your Company Culture

Effective office etiquette can help transform a company culture and can even result in the difference between business success and business failure.

In recognition of National Business Etiquette Week, Small Business Trends has compiled a list of 50 amazing office etiquette tips to transform your company culture.

An Office Isn’t a Rock Concert, Keep Noise to a Minimum

Other than the necessities, speaking on the phone and talking with co-workers, keep noise low in an office, after all, you’re all there to work.

Put Personal Phones Onto Silent

Personal phones blasting out into the office can naturally be disrupting and off-putting to fellow workers.

Avoid Taking Personal Calls at Your Desk

Chatting to your best friend about Saturday’s night out is hardly conducive with hard work. Avoid taking personal calls in office time.

Reply to Colleague’s Messages in a Timely Manner

When receiving emails, voice messages, Skype messages, texts and other forms of correspondence from colleagues, reply in a timely manner instead of keeping them waiting.

Show Respect to Colleagues at All Times

When working in an open office environment, respect is the crux of an affable, effective company culture. Treat colleagues with the same level of respect you would expect to be treated yourself.

Don’t Interrupt Colleagues when They Are Speaking

Interrupting others is rude and shows a lack of social skills.

Be Mindful of Your Body Language

Body language speaks volumes in working environments. Talking to colleagues with your arms crossed and without making eye contact could be perceived as being rude.

Be Polite to Other People in the Office

The words please and thank-you can never be overused, especially in a working environment.

Be Pleasant to Others in the Office

Being pleasant and friendly to colleagues will craft a company culture that is desirable to work in, thus helping to retain and attract employees.

Pay Attention to the Interests of Co-Workers

Show a genuine interest into the hobbies and past-times of other workers.

Share Your Own Interests with Other Workers

By the same token, show friendliness by being willing to share your own interests and hobbies with your fellow employees.

Share the Credit for Good Work

If you have co-worked on a successful project or task, share the credit between colleagues and teams.

Be a Team Player

Working well with colleagues and being part of a team will help generate good will amongst your co-workers that is often reciprocated.

Help New Employees and Interns by Showing Them the Rules

We all feel nervous on our first few days at a job. Show new employees respect by informing them of certain office ‘rules’, such as the time of breaks and lunch hours and where to make a drink.

Introduce New Employees to Other Members of the Team

When showing new employees round the office, introduce them to other team members and other departments so they can start putting names to faces.

Help Colleagues That May Be Struggling With a Deadline or Project

If you know that a fellow employee is struggling with some aspect of their work and you have the knowledge and skills to help them, go ahead and lend them a helping hand, after all, most businesses are driven by team efforts.

Keep Smiling

A smile a day keeps bad moods at bay! Smiling throughout the day helps generate a pleasant and friendly working environment.

Don’t Be Late to Work

Slinking into the office half an hour after everyone else will not paint yourself in a professional light. Being on time to work is a basic office etiquette requirement.

Praise Fellow Workers for Good Work

Part of showing colleagues respect it showing appreciation and gratitude for good work. Give praise where it’s deserved.

Try and Remember Co-Workers’ Names

Some people have better memories than others, granted. However, doing your best to remember the names of other people in the office will show colleagues the respect they deserve.

Treat Others Fairly

You may be friendlier with certain co-workers than others, but all members of staff should be treated fairly to prevent favoritism casting a shadow on the office culture.

Refrain from Getting Too Personal With Others at Work

It might be nice to be friendly with colleagues but getting too personal and paly can show favoritism and an unprofessional tone.

Avoid Cursing in the Workplace

It might sound obvious but using bad language at work is a definite office no-no.

Give Fellow Office Workers Space and Privacy to Work

Collaborating and conversing with co-workers is naturally required but respect each other’s privacy and give colleagues their own space so they can get on with their job.

Be Mindful of Smells: Eat Your Lunch and Snacks Away from Your Desk

Nobody wants to work in a smelly environment. Refrain from creating an unnecessarily smelly workplace by eating away from your desk. Eat meals and snacks in the s of the staff restaurant or in a café down the road.

Pay Attention to Personal Hygiene

Of course, smells come in a multitude of guises! Paying attention to personal hygiene will ensure you’re not avoided being sat next to at work.

Avoid Overdoing the Perfume or Aftershave

That said, too much perfume or aftershave can create a sickly aroma in a confined office space. Don’t infringe your favorite perfume on co-workers too much that it is all they can smell all day!

Keep Office Attire Professional

Even if you have a company culture of wearing jeans and trainers to the office, show respect to clothing conduct by avoiding turning up to work in sandals and Bermuda shorts!

Keep Your Desk Neat and Tidy

Show your organizational skills and professional image by keeping your own desk tidy and in order throughout the working day.

Keep Your Personal Belongings Confined to a Specific Space

Rather than having your lipstick, wallet, coat, handbag, mobile phone and diary spread across the office, keep personal belongings in one specific space, so they don’t get in the way of others.

Help Maintain the Overall Tidiness of the Whole Office

As well as keeping your own desk neat and tidy, work together as a team to maintain the tidiness of the whole office, including break out areas, staff kitchens, bathrooms and canteens.

If You’re Sick, Stay at Home

You may be tempted to come to work when you’re feeling unwell but if there’s a possibility your sickness is contagious, stay at home so your co-workers don’t catch the bug.

Help Keep Office Coughs and Colds at Bay: Cover Your Mouth when You Sneeze

If you have a cough and cold at work, try and help prevent the spread of germs in the office by covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze.

Have Hand Sanitizer Available

Hand sanitizer is an effective way to prevent germs from spreading. If you have a cold, wipe hand sanitizer on phones, computer keyboards and other shared areas to help prevent the spread of germs.

Don’t Leave Tissues Lying Around

It might sound obvious, but leaving used tissues lying around the office is giving colleagues an open invitation to your germs. Put tissues in the bin.

Listen to the Ideas and Opinions of Others

Part of respecting fellow team members is to listen to the ideas and opinions of everybody in the office.

Be Tolerant of Others’ Opinions

You might not their ideas and they might not yours, but try to be tolerant of other’s opinions and respecting the prospect that they might not agree with everything you say.

Avoid Gossiping About Others

Gossip can cripple the atmosphere and culture in an office and should be avoided at all costs.

Concentrate on the Positives of Your Own Job

Feeling dejected, bored or frustrated about your own job can rub off on your colleagues. Try to focus on the positive things about your job to remain upbeat throughout the working day.

Set up Regular Team Meetings Where Everyone Is Involved

Holding regular team meetings to encourage the sharing of ideas and the raising of any questions or concerns. Encourage everyone to be involved in the meeting.

Don’t Be Late to Meetings

Never keep the meeting host waiting by showing up late to a meeting.

Show Attentiveness in Meetings

When attending meetings, demonstrate attentiveness and alertness by responding to questions and putting forward ideas rather than texting on your phone or playing with your hair!

Set Company Goals

Goals and targets shouldn’t be confined to sales teams. Setting realistic but at the same time challenging goals in the office, will give employees something to work towards and focus on.

Introduce Office Incentives and Rewards

Whether it’s dress down day on a Friday or a finish early day, introducing incentives and rewards can go a long way in transforming the culture of a company into a more positive one.

Encourage Healthy Office Banter

Banter in the office can make a working day more fun. Just ensure office banter doesn’t turn into ridicule or scorn.

Be Mindful of Office Furniture

Slouching at your desk with your feet rest on a chair opposite will mean you are not presenting yourself in the most professional of lights. Sit up straight and be mindful of office furniture.

Be Responsible for Your Tasks

If you agree to take on a task, endeavor to do your best to follow the task through and complete it on time.

Be a Good Communicator With Fellow Employees

Keep colleagues informed about tasks and ideas by communicating with them regularly and efficiently.

Dwell on Co-Workers’ Positive Qualities, Not the Negatives

We all have positive and negative sides to our characters. To generate an upbeat working culture, concentrate on the positive side of workers’ personalities, instead of the negative.

Avoid Being the First One Out the Door at the End of the Day

Rushing out the door as soon as soon as it turns six o’clock can paint you in a negative light to fellow workers. Staying a few minutes past company closing won’t do you any harm and will go a long way in showing diligence towards your job.

Office etiquette is an important part of company culture. Observing and following the above office etiquette tips will not only help create a positive and efficient working culture but it will also help you earn a good reputation at work, which could lead to bigger things.

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Источник: //smallbiztrends.com/2017/06/office-etiquette.html