Discrimination is an incredibly serious issue that can have lasting negative effects on both companies and their employees. Alongside the mental harm it can cause, businesses may never recover from the loss of their reputation.
With decreased productivity, high turnover rates, and potential legal action – it’s something that you want to avoid as much as possible. Thankfully, there are proactive steps that you can take to create a diverse and inclusive environment.
Want to learn more? Below we are going to discuss some tips on how your business can prevent workplace discrimination.
Develop and update your anti-discrimination policy.
An anti-discrimination policy is something that your workplace always needs, regardless of whether you have a staff member with protected traits or not. It must outline that it will not be tolerated in any form, including factors such as:
– Race
– Age
– Religion
– Sexual Orientation
The policy should be available to all of your employees and training provided so that it is understood by everyone. It must also be periodically reviewed so that it’s up to date with any changing laws and regulations.
Educate employees on diversity and inclusion.
Speaking of training, there are so many great ways to educate your employees on diversity and inclusion. For example, there are a wide range of workshops and seminars that cover topics including cultural sensitivity and respectful communication.
By raising awareness and fostering a positive culture, you can help prevent discrimination from occurring at all. Not to mention the improvements it will have on your overall business operations.
Implement a complaint procedure.
In the event that discrimination, bullying, or harassment does happen, your employees should feel comfortable to report it without any fear of retaliation. To ensure this, you need to have a complaint procedure in place that is easy to access.
Outline the steps for reporting issues as well as the actions that will be taken. If you receive one it must be investigated promptly and the employee protected, regardless of their position within the company.
Encourage diverse hiring.
Diversity in the workplace starts with the hiring process. Encourage your HR team to focus on recruiting a wide pool of candidates to avoid biases.
Another important thing to consider is your job description. You may need to eliminate unnecessary requirements or qualifications that exclude certain candidates.
Be a role model.
Finally and probably the most important tip of all is to be a role model to your employees. As a business owner or supervisor, it’s your responsibility to show that you care about everyone on your team.
Lead by example, model respective behavior and take matters seriously. You set the tone that others will follow!
Final Words
There’s no denying that preventing workplace discrimination is a crucial aspect of creating a positive and productive work environment. So if you haven’t already, follow the advice above and start creating strategies and solutions to develop an inclusive space. Both your business and employees will thrive because of it!