As an employer, it’s your responsibility to ensure that all of your employees are treated with respect, care, and dignity in your workplace.
Unfair treatment breeds an unenjoyable work environment that lacks inclusivity. It can negatively impact employee engagement, productivity, and morale, leading to missed deadlines, unhappy clients, and a poor company reputation.
Below, we have covered some important steps to take as an employer to maintain fair treatment for all of your employees.
Tackle Discrimination Quickly
Discrimination is a serious issue in any workplace. Not only is it illegal, but it also causes the affected employees to feel unsafe. In severe cases, discrimination can impact a person’s mental health in the long term.
If you notice that one or more of your employees discriminate against another employee, you must take immediate action. This may involve speaking to the perpetrators and issuing a warning or even dismissing certain employees if you feel their behavior is unacceptable.
Pay particular attention to each employee with protected characteristics, such as those who fall under a minority ethnic group or age group in your workplace or those who are pregnant. Sadly, discrimination based on protected characteristics is common, and these employees may be more vulnerable to harassment, bullying, and unfair treatment.
Educate your existing employees on anti-discrimination policies through regular training sessions. You can also hang posters and information leaflets along the walls of your office or meeting rooms so your staff can read about your policies as they’re walking past.
Learn to Recognize the Signs of a Poor Work Environment
A poor work environment makes it difficult to maintain a happy and hard-working cohort of staff. If your employees don’t feel valued or cared for, they will show the same level of disrespect towards you and your company.
Knowing the key signs of a poor work environment enables you to identify if you’re doing enough to maintain a positive workplace for your staff. Poor working conditions may include:
- A lack of health and safety measures
- In-office temperatures that are too hot or cold
- Inadequate kitchen or toilet facilities
- Out-dated equipment and furnishings
- Poor lighting
Implement Effective Health and Safety Measures
Proper health and safety in the workplace isn’t simply a choice. It’s mandatory by law.
As an employer, you must implement stringent health and safety protocols in your workplace to ensure your employees are protected from potential hazards and dangers.
If you’re unsure of anything, you can look online to find local and national health and safety laws. However, for the most part, keeping your employees safe is common sense.
Make sure your workplace is free of hazards, like loose cables or carpets, poor lighting, and wonky staircases. Clean spillages up as quickly as possible and ensure all your equipment is PAT tested regularly to avoid mishaps, breakages, and injuries.
You should also provide your staff with regular health and safety training, so they know how to identify and report potential hazards or issues.
