EEOC Emphasizes: Respect is Key in the
Workplace
With
the new mandatory sexual harassment training requirement in California,
employers are scrambling to find ways to meet the statutes requirements and
to figure out exactly what is required of them. While it is necessary and
critical that employees understand the laws regarding who is protected and
what is or is not lawful conduct, it is equally critical that employees be
taught that respect is one of the fundamental rules in the
workplace. Employers cannot teach respect through computerized training
programs.
The
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently emphasized the importance
of respect in the workplace at the Society for Human Resources (SHRM)
Employment Law and Legislative Conference.
Speaking
at the conference, Naomi Churchill Earp, Vice-Chair of the EEOC, stated
that she wants supervisors and workers to respect each other. She believes
that workplaces would be far better off if employers and employees would
learn the basic principle of respect.
Cited Examples Show On-Going Problem
The
Vice-Chair noted that cases of inter-racial color discrimination, such as
black-on-black discrimination are emerging. Color discrimination cases,
common in the early years of Title VII, are showing up again.
For
instance, Earp tells of a case headed for litigation where a black
supervisor repeatedly used the "N-word" as a way to motivate his
black crew to work harder. The supervisor justified the behavior as,
"It's part of our culture." Imagine the difficulty of trying to
defend this supervisor's actions in court.
Respect Means Broadening One's World View
The
problem here is that, regardless of whether the supervisor believed that
such language was acceptable to his workforce, without a doubt his choice
of words showed a lack of overall respect and a lack of awareness of the
power of his words. It is not acceptable to use such derogatory language
even if you think you know your audience.
Respect
means moving one's frame of reference from an ethnocentric way of looking
at the world (my/our way is the best way; this is how I would want to be
treated) to a culturally relative perspective (how does this person/culture
want to be treated).
Basic
principles can be emphasized to all employees such as:
- Be polite and
courteous
- Think before you
act
- Think about how
the other person might be feeling
- Listen to what
others have to say
- Use common sense
- Think about how
you would feel if someone you respected found out about your conduct
- Accept
responsibility for your conduct and the consequences of your conduct
Disrespectful Conduct Leads to Low Morale and Lost Productivity
The
examples cited by the EEOC Vice-Chair are particularly egregious. However,
even if disrespectful conduct does not immediately rise to the level of a
legal violation it still undermines productivity and morale and may
eventually lead to a hostile work environment or discrimination claim.
Morale,
productivity and customer/client service are at their highest when the
workforce is working effectively as a team and practicing basic principles
of dignity and respect. Unfortunately, this is not always the case because
of the influences of inappropriate behavior or disruptive employees. This
is especially a problem if it is a manager who is disrespectful or
inappropriate.
Aside
from outright harassment, disrespectful behaviors include:
- Making rude,
condescending or insulting comments;
- Using angry,
hostile or defensive tones;
- Shouting, slamming
doors, exhibiting extreme anger when displeased;
- Berating
employees;
- Insensitive
treatment of others;
- Attacking
immediately when criticized;
- Believing that the
rules do not apply to him/her.
Employers
often are required to spend an inordinate amount of time managing employees
who engage in such disruptive, disrespectful behaviors.
Employers Must Manage For Respect
Employers
cannot ignore the issue of respect in the workplace. Misbehavior and
disrespect will not "go away" if tolerated or ignored. To the
contrary, such conduct can potentially lead to litigation. Instead
employers must affirmatively manage the workplace to foster an environment
of respect.
The
following are some helpful tips:
- Conduct diversity
training. Make certain that the training selected does more than
simply emphasize the legal requirements. The training should emphasize
building a workplace where employees treat each other professionally
and respectfully. Make sure the training is conducted by an
experienced, credible trainer who offers tools for the employees to be
able to change their behavior. Shaking your finger at the employees
and saying "Don't do this... or else" is not effective.
- Evaluate
employees, including management personnel, on their ability to get
along with other employees. Organizations should have performance
criteria that emphasize teamwork, avoiding disruptive behaviors, and
respect. Employees should be expected to work well in a group setting
and to conduct themselves in a professional manager.
- Document
disrespectful behavior and take corrective action when necessary.
- Consider if a
psychological disorder or alcohol or chemical dependency could be
contributing to any problems
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