Five Steps for Management to Foster
a Respectful Workplace

In workplaces where people feel respected, problems are minimized. This is especially true if the respect comes from the top. When employees believe that management is doing all it can to foster respect, they will go the extra mile for the organization. Even if there is a “bad apple” in the workplace who is not respectful, employees will trust management to handle the situation appropriately, rather than seeking out a lawyer or going to a government agency.

How can management foster a respectful workplace? Here are five helpful steps:

1
 Establish guiding values for your organization that include respect.
2

Publish a policy requiring respectful treatment of others at work.
3

Train managers to treat employees with respect and counsel employees who do not treat people respectfully.
4
 When complaints are made handle them immediately and appropriately.  Employees who consistently treat others without respect should be coached, counseled, warned and ultimately, terminated.
5

Train all employees on their responsibility to treat coworkers with respect.

Follow these steps, and not only will you prevent lawsuits, you will also have a productive organization where people will be happy to work.

The information above was written by Rita Risser, attorney who has specialized in employment law since 1979. She is the author of the book, Stay Out of Court! The Manager’s Guide to Preventing Employee Lawsuits (Prentice Hall).

Find out more about award–winning VisionPoint programs that can help you foster diversity,
inclusion and respect in the workplace.