Workplace Abuses Suffered by Employees doing the right Thing
Data from theEthics Resource Centerreveals that employees are suffering a variety of different abuses as a result of reporting breaches in policy and other ethical matters. The survey highlights the problem in businesses and gives a clear insight for business leaders into the issues faced in protecting their employees.
Many businesses operate a whistle blowing policy, whereby employees are offered differing levels of protection according to the misconduct that they identify and report. It's a difficult scenario for business leaders, who must ensure that they create the right climate. Employees must be encouraged to report breaches in ethical conduct without fearing the repercussions. Anonymity will always be a priority, but the reality is that this isn't always possible – and that's when the problems start.
The most common issue identified in the survey (with 64% of people affected) is that employees found themselves excluded from decisions and other activities by their line managers. This form of exclusion, however motivated, should be considered a form of harassment and should never be tolerated. It is quite commonly difficult to prove in certain situations. Similarly, 62% of people reported that they were ignored or excluded by their workplace peers.
There are other alarming statistics too. More than half of the people involved believed that they would lose their jobs. 62% were verbally abused by their managers and 51% by their colleagues. 55% believe that they were passed over for a promotion. 44% were relocated or reassigned and 46% saw a cut in their pay or hours.
For managers, the key issue here is one of trust. Unethical conduct cannot be tolerated but employees must be able to trust one another and not fee that they are forever being scrutinized. Against the specter of peer pressure, it's easy to see why a lot of unethical conduct goes unreported, simply because individuals don't wish to be ostracized. For leaders, this must remain a key cultural focus. It is not just a case of making it clear that unethical conduct will not be tolerated. It is also about ensuring that dealing with this kind of misconduct is seen as part of everyone's responsibility. That message needs to resonate throughout training, coaching, communication and beyond – and starts with recruitment.
Implementing the tools, procedures and policies to address ethical misconduct should be a task on every leader's agenda but must run deeper than simply reacting to the misconduct in isolation. Leaders must acknowledge the employee implications of reporting conduct issues, ensuring that the person that is helping to address the problem doesn't by default become the victim.
Image:The Guardian
