Requisite HR November Newsletter 2016
Unfair Treatment in the Workplace.
Unfair Treatment in the Workplace occurs in many forms and in different ways. Sometimes it is done with intent, but more often it is done unintentional due to a lack of awareness, knowledge or understanding of legal requirements. So in this month's newsletter we will focus on raising awareness around some of the key concepts that make up this issue. .
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Article by Tasha Broomhall
What does unfair treatment look like?
Feelings of unfairness is an individual concept, in that you may treat two people exactly the same and yet one person may feel that their treatment is unfair, whereas the other person does not. However, when someone feels they have been unfairly treated, it is because they feel that there is a perceived or real sense of injustice. This perceived unfairness can cause the individual to experience psychological distress and can lead to depression, anxiety, irritability, exhaustion and disengagement from the business. According to psychologists, frustration arises when employees feel that there is imbalance in their perceived distributive, procedural, interpersonal justices. Distributive Justice relates to how rewards like bonuses, praise and recognition are handed out. If employees feel that rewards are not fairly distributive it can demotivating and decrease work performance. Procedural Justice affects how decisions are made and how policies are established. Procedural justice is also concerned about creating policies and procedures that take all perspectives and concerns into consideration. When employees believe problems will be resolved fairly and honestly, they will have more confidence in the decision. Interpersonal Justice is the perceived fairness of treating individuals with dignity, respect and courtesy by supervisors or administrators.
Consequences of Unfair Treatment The level of felt-unfairness will determine the level of consequences from the action/s. At a basic level it influences an individual's engagement with the Company. When a person loses engagement their job satisfaction, morale, work product, discretionary effort and interactions with the Business and it's team members can all be effected in a negative manner. This impact can flow throughout the team, impact the culture of the company creating long lasting damage. If the issue/s are not addressed and resolved to the team members satisfaction, then the team member can become disengaged the treatment creates a catalyst for the individual to commence looking outside the company for opportunities. Because they feel that they can not longer work in such an environment - for the courts, this may be seen as constructive dismissal. Constructive dismissal is when an employee resigns as a result of the unacceptable conduct of the employer and the employee feels that she or he had not other choice but to resign. This conduct generally involves an employer engaging in a serious breach of the employment contract or indicating that it no longer wishes to perform its side of the employment contract. It is irrelevant whether the employer intended or anticipated that the employee would quit their job, and since the resignation was not truly voluntary, it is in effect a termination.
What Can I Do?
To minimise Distributive, Procedural and Interpersonal Mis-Justices ensure that your systems, policies, practices, processes and procedures to manage people are legal, transparent, non-discriminatory, impartial, contain information about how issues shall be addressed and you will treat your team members in different circumstances. Ensure that your suite of people management documents include a Code of Conduct, a Resolution of Disputes, and an Employee Manual. Train your supervisors and managers so that they have the skills and knowledge to manage people. Train your supervisors and managers to be able to deal with unfair treatment claims. Recognise, acknowledge, investigate, document and act on all complaints. Implement a Contact Officer role, to listen to the employee, act as a ‘sounding board’, help the employee explore the options available to them, and provide advice throughout the resolution process (including internal or external reviews). Create company values and align your business practices with them. Reward and recognise when you see team members living the Company Values or performing beyond expectations. Walk the talk - lead by example. Establish a foundation for a mutually respectful employer-employee relationship by communicating with team members in an open, honest and transparent manner. Create regular opportunities for communication between team leaders and team members, including opportunities to gain feedback on management and company performance. Develop strong interpersonal relationships with all team members, not just the ones you personally like. Be interested in your team members development and personal goals. Review your remuneration structure and ensure that disparities are not discriminatory based. Currently in Western Australia, women on average earn 30.9% less than men.
Preparing for your Christmas Party It is the most wonderful time of the year! Employers around the country are preparing for the annual institution that is the Christmas party. It is a time where employees are rewarded for another year of hard work and dedication. They are encouraged to relax and enjoy each others company. However, the 'silly' season can sometimes live up to its name, it can be an occasion where normal workplace conduct or standards are disregarded. So to avoid the HR hangover we have come up with a few tips to get you through your upcoming end of year celebration. Code of Conduct. Before the event, employees need to be reminded of the standards of behaviour that must be adhered to during the event. Any disorderly or drunken behaviour, illegal drug taking, harassment of any sexual or discriminatory nature, verbal or physical abuse and (if your event is taking place on a weekday) any unauthorised absences the day after are strictly prohibited and will result in disciplinary action. The purpose of this reminder is to ensure everyone can enjoy themselves safely and appropriately. Don't Discriminate. Be mindful that not everybody celebrates Christmas, so make the party as 'holiday friendly' as possible. People who do not wish to attend should not be made to feel pressured or guilty. Ensure the venue has appropriate wheelchair access and all dietary needs are catered for. Alcohol. If you choose to provide free alcohol at your event, you may be liable for any disorderly or drunken behaviour, therefore it is a good idea to place a limit on the amount that is provided, ensure there is plenty of food to go around and consider how people are going to get home safely. It is also important to respect those who do not wish to drink alcohol either for personal choice or religious reasons, so make sure there are plenty of non-alcoholic drink options. Perfect Policies. This is a better time than any to ensure your bullying and harassment, equal opportunities, grievance, disciplinary and social media policies are up to date and are circulated to all employees. The social media policy is particularly relevant as many employees may want to post and share photos, videos and comments about the party. The policy should cover personal use in and outside of office hours, how it should be used and what the consequences are for breaches of the policy. This is to protect the interests and the reputation of the company and its employees. If you have any questions or concerns about your current policies please contact us today for a review 1300 164 737.
From the team at Requisite HR we would like to wish you all a very happy and safe holiday season. We have thoroughly enjoyed another year of successful partnership with both our existing clients and the new clients that have joined us this year. We look forward proving you support in 2017 to ensure that your business thrives.
Hurry! Closing 15th December
Monthly Competiton
COMPETITION CLICK HERE TO ENTER
Winners will be announced 16th December 2016 We hope you enjoyed this month's newsletter, answer the following question to go in the running to WIN: "What is distributive fairness?" a) Equal reward and recognition distribution. b) Being nice to everyone. c) Batman's method of crime fighting. RE TO E H CK CLI R ENTE
Submit your answers via private message on our Facebook page or you can email the answer to info@requisitehr.com.au. Terms & Conditions apply.
TERMS & CONDITIONS OF COMPETITION: Each monthly competition's (excluding November) closes 30 days from the published date. Each person may only enter once per month. Answers must be submitted via Email or private message on Facebook. The first 3 people to correctly answer the question will receive 4,3,2 points and every other participant after the top three will receive 1 point. All points will be kept in a tally and added to throughout the year. Competition winners will be announced via Facebook or Email and prizes will be awarded in December 2016. First Prize: Veuve Clicqot Champagne (valued between AUD$99.95-$69.99), Second Prize: Johnnie Walker Platinum Label Scotch (valued between AUD$98.95-$70.99), Third Prize: Godiva Signature Truffles (valued at AUD$50.00). Competition organisers can terminate or exclude entries if they do not meet the T&Cs of the competition.
Requisite HR Pty Ltd ABN: 35 606 293 476 www.requisitehr.com.au
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