As an employer, how do you prevent discrimination and harassment in your workplace? Take these steps to make your workplace feel more welcoming to individuals of various backgrounds. This will lower the risk of discrimination or harassment in the workplace.
- Support diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Diversity in the workplace is the practice of including and involving people from different social and ethnic backgrounds genders, sexual orientations, and religions. Inclusion in the workplace is the practice of providing equal access to opportunities and resources to people who have historically been excluded or marginalized, such as people with disabilities or people who fall into certain racial categories. Inclusion is also about the extent to which the contributions and perspectives of diverse groups of people are valued and are integrated into a working environment.
Supporting diversity and inclusion results in higher rates of employee retention, as more employees feel included in decision-making. In addition, a business can achieve better customer relations because a more diverse employee population may be able to connect with a more diverse client base; better customer relations often result in greater revenue.
A diverse workforce also has a higher likelihood of the workplace being characterized as a more engaging place to work by its employees. If employees feel supported in the workplace, then they are less likely to feel that they are being discriminated against or harassed.
- Ensure that your company communicates and adheres to a policy of zero tolerance of discrimination and harassment.
This means not just having a written policy in place prohibiting such behavior, but also letting employees know about the consequences of violating the employer’s policy and taking disciplinary action to address such conduct, even if the incident seems “minor.” Disciplinary action could include a verbal conversation with an employee regarding the inappropriateness of certain behavior that is subsequently noted in the employee’s file. Or, depending on the severity of the conduct, it might include a written warning or even termination.
Managers should be trained regarding their responsibility to address and prevent discrimination and harassment as well as report any such alleged incidents to someone at the company who is authorized to respond. In addition, if an employer detects what appears to be a pattern of discrimination and/or harassment in the workplace, then the employer may wish to conduct a broader investigation to identify the cause(s) of this behavior to eradicate them.
- Have your company promote a culture of mutual respect for people of different backgrounds.
This includes accepting cultural differences and not judging other people. For example, an employer might choose to host a holiday potluck towards the end of the year. If so, the employer should not allow its employees to make disparaging comments regarding dishes with which they may not be familiar. Along these same lines, employees may refrain from eating certain foods because of their cultural or religious traditions – other employees should not comment on their co-workers’ decision not to eat those foods. Further, certain religious traditions prohibit the consumption of alcohol – consider limiting the number of work-related events that you host that are alcohol-focused such as happy hours at bars.
Another opportunity for promoting respect for people who come from different backgrounds could involve an employee coming to work wearing a hairstyle that others are not used to or wearing clothing that others might not wear. Do not judge that person and/or make negative comments about their appearance. What feels comfortable and familiar to you in terms of dress and hairstyle may not feel comfortable and familiar to someone else.
- Be Professional in Your Behavior and Speech
All communications to and with your employees should be professional. Professional speech involves communicating clearly in a manner that makes listeners feel comfortable and at ease while you share information with them. In speaking with your employees, avoid using humor that may be culturally offensive or race based.
- Encourage Employees to Report Incidents of Alleged Discrimination and/or Harassment
As an employer, you should try to establish a culture where communication is encouraged, and employees feel supported in raising issues that are of concern to them. Clearly communicate to your employees that you are serious about preventing discrimination and harassment and that if they have any questions or concerns in this regard, you would like the employees to raise those so that the conduct at issue can be thoroughly investigated and addressed, where appropriate.
Let your employees know to whom any such questions or concerns may be communicated, and ideally identify more than one person with whom employees can speak regarding any such concerns. If possible, designate at least one person who is outside of the employee’s reporting line to whom the employee can address these concerns.
Advise employees who assert a complaint of discrimination or harassment that their confidentiality will be protected, to the extent possible. Such messaging conveys to employees that your work environment is not one in which discrimination and/or harassment will be tolerated, and that if any incidents of discrimination and/or harassment are alleged to have occurred, then the company will investigate and address them. You should also assure your employees that they will not be retaliated against, or punished, for reporting such concerns.
- Adopt the Golden Rule: treat others the way you yourself would want to be treated.
If you would not want to be treated a certain way (i.e., having your traditions scrutinized and/or ridiculed, being excluded from social outings that are sponsored by an employer, etc.), then do not treat your co-workers that way. Extend to your co-workers the same respect and inclusive treatment that you would like to have extended to you.
In sum, an employer can do much to prevent instances of discrimination and harassment in the workplace by encouraging respect for others in the workplace and encouraging employees to voice any concerns they may have regarding potential discrimination and harassment. Employers must also take steps to thoroughly investigate any such complaints and take appropriate disciplinary action, where necessary. Employers should aim to treat their employees the way that they themselves would wish to be treated.