The workplace landscape continues to become more complex, with growing expectations for employers to cultivate empowering and engaging work cultures. But growing concerns surrounding workplace harassment and workplace violence are creating major challenges when it comes to building safe and equitable places for employees to thrive.
According to a recent Traliant report, “Canadian Culture Check: A report on workplace harassment in Canada,” most human resources (HR) professionals in Canada (61%) feel workplace harassment is a growing issue in their organization, and almost 1 in 4 individuals in the U.S. have witnessed workplace violence happening to another employee in the last five years.
This data showcases the growing need for employers to better protect their employees. That’s where compliance programs come in. With compliance programs that provide comprehensive harassment prevention policies, robust reporting procedures and training, organizations can ensure they are providing employees with the tools needed to identify and report harassment but create an elevated work culture that prioritizes safety.
Harassment and Workplace Violence Prevention Training
When employees see that their organization prioritizes ethical conduct like harassment and workplace violence prevention, they can take pride in their work and their employer, which could result in greater job satisfaction and loyalty. The sense of psychological safety established by compliance can promote open and creative conversations, strengthening relationships among colleagues and further enhancing overall employee satisfaction.
For employers looking to build their harassment and workplace violence prevention strategies to promote overall workplace safety, it’s important to begin with an audit of the current training resources in place and company policies that clearly define what conduct is prohibited and set out reporting channels. From there, organizations can begin implementing training and educational resources to close any gaps.
The most impactful training is interactive and shows employees what harassment and workplace violence is through nuanced storytelling that is relevant to their everyday roles. By using examples from their industry, training should give employees an understanding of the broad array of situations in which harassment can arise, from comments to social media activity. Visual storytelling is also a highly engaging and effective way to equip employees with the knowledge of what concrete actions they can take and more holistically shift perspectives.
A comprehensive compliance strategy that promotes employee safety and well-being needs to be an ongoing initiative. Leaders must frame harassment and workplace violence prevention as a part of employees’ job descriptions and make it clear that misconduct will be addressed promptly. Managers need extra guidance and additional training as they have special responsibilities to report any misconduct they learn about and to make sure their teams feel able to express concerns without fear of retaliation or company inaction.
Code of Conduct Training
Beyond harassment and workplace violence prevention, organizations should consider implementing a code of conduct. The most robust codes of conduct touch every aspect of the business from finance and human resources (HR) to information technology (IT) and product teams and set out guidelines for all employees within the company.
Once a code of conduct is established, it should be promoted company-wide and updated to reflect any changes made across the company. By understanding the ethical challenges they could face, employees can gain confidence and clarity to make informed decisions that align with their company’s values. This immersive approach can help reduce ethical risks and drive a stronger, more accountable workplace culture.
A code of conduct that sits in an employee handbook and is not referenced or followed is not effective; this is why training employees in the company’s code of conduct is vital. This can foster a shared sense of responsibility and reinforce the message that the company is all in this together. Effective training can help employees connect the code to their everyday roles, making it something they can relate to and act on.
Some proven results of training include inspiring the right behavior, raising awareness of ethical issues, helping employees adapt to workplace changes, encouraging employees to speak up and reinforcing accountability across the organization.
Furthermore, change beings at the top: To ensure employees care about the code of conduct, leadership must demonstrate these behaviors. When management actively supports an initiative, their direct reports can be more likely to be passionate about the topic as well. Leadership buy-in has proven successful, with statistics showing that 70% of employees’ engagement levels are directly influenced by their trust in leaders.
L&D, HR and compliance professionals know that fostering an ethical workplace isn’t just about checking a compliance box. It’s about giving employees the tools to understand and internalize the company’s code, so they feel empowered to make the right decisions every day. By incorporating a holistic approach to compliance management and adopting a safety-first mindset into an organization’s culture employers can succeed in improving the overall workplace environment.
