Investigating Workplace Bullying
The Bully by WTL photos
Bullying doesn’t end when you leave the playground. There’s always someone who’s willing to throw their weight around in order to get their way, and sooner or later, you’re bound to encounter such a person in the workplace. Some people don’t know what to do with power. After being promoted to a position of authority, they may find themselves uncertain as to how to actually manage a group of employees (whether because of insufficient training or simply a tendency to behave in an aggressive manner). Or bullying may come from an employee who is unsatisfied with their situation and decides to take it out on everyone around them. Whatever the cause, the result is the same: one person (or a group of people) elects to intimidate others and create a hostile work environment. Read more
How Ethics Establish a Stable and Secure Workplace
The concept of ethics in business is not difficult to comprehend. Everyone understands that there is a difference between what is right and what is wrong when it comes to acceptable business practices, both in terms of operations and how human resources are handled. Unfortunately, while most companies are content to operate in tandem with the letter of the law, their ethical practices leave something to be desired. However, large businesses would do well to realize that employees who are satisfied with their job situation and feel like they are part of a team are more likely to increase the volume and quality of output rather than doing the bare minimum to get by, as well as avoid getting caught up in practices that either violate company policy or are outright illegal. Creating a work environment that is stable and secure starts with ethical practices. Read more
Diversity Training in the Workplace
Everyone who has ever worked for a large corporation, a chain of restaurants, or any other business interested in avoiding lawsuits has at one time or another been forced to participate in sexual harassment training. You remember the video presentation or online slide show enumerating the various ridiculously overblown scenarios in which one employee might sexually harass another. And while you probably snickered at the poor schmoes too dumb to realize what does and does not constitute harassment, you may have learned some valuable lessons pertaining to acceptable workplace behavior. Unfortunately, discrimination is not one of the topics covered in harassment training, and it can be even more detrimental to a company’s ability to function and remain viable in a global economy. Diversity in the workplace should be respected and encouraged, which is why many businesses are choosing to incorporate diversity training into their hiring protocol. Read more
Mandatory Overtime: Is it Ethical?
We’ve all had those days; the boss swings by your cubicle just as you’re packing up to go home for the day and tells you that an emergency project has just come up and everyone has to stay until it’s done. You just know that someone in marketing or sales had this on their calendar a month ago and let it slide until they realized, “Oh, my God! It’s due tomorrow!” sending the whole company into a mad fire drill. With a sigh, you call your spouse to say you’ll be late…again. This is an all-too common scenario facing many office-workers, especially now that companies have to use any bit of leverage they can get to stay afloat, not to mention the fact that people are willing to put up with just about anything not to lose a stable job during a recession. And while overtime is certainly legal (as long as the company is paying appropriately), requiring workers to stay beyond their allotted work hours (or risk losing their jobs) may not be an ethical use of human resources. Read more
Fortune 500 Companies Accept Green Challenge
When you think of big business, you probably have an image of a monolithic corporate headquarters and factories spewing sewage and pollution into the environment. You may even formulate a picture of an evil CEO laughing maniacally as he consigns our planet to doom in his quest for the all-important bottom line. Or maybe you’re thinking about the BP oil spill in the gulf. Whatever impression comes to mind, chances are good that “environmental consciousness” is not part of the corporate package in the eyes of the layman. However, many mega-corporations have turned a new leaf and are striving to leave behind the antiquated notion of the industrial tycoon and all of the negative associations it engenders, by taking a stand for the environment and changing their business practices to support a healthy planet and reduce their environmental impact. Read more