As a business owner, you’re going to need to deal with complaints from your staff.
So it’s important to know the sorts of complaints you might be dealing with, and how to sort them out. The idea is to be the best and most attentive boss you can possibly be.
This means dealing with these issues as soon as they arise, so you offer a positive and pleasant working environment for everyone.
Sexual Harassment
There is no place in business for sexual harassment, and yet it seems to happens a lot. That’s why it’s important to be proactive and ensure you prevent it.
The thing is that it can be difficult to know, as an employer, what constitutes sexual harassment these days. So, you need to make sure you find out what the law is regarding sexual harassment.
And, if one of your staff comes to you with a complaint of sexual harassment you need to take it seriously. A thorough investigation is essential for getting to the root of the problem and dealing with it.
Racism
Racism is one of the ugliest things as in the world, but, unfortunately, it still exists. Flagrant racism is rare in business, but it does exist. What is more common is people unintentionally making racially insensitive comments.
Racial discrimination is never okay, even if it’s meant as a joke or a bit of banter. So, you need to do as much as you can to make sure this is never a problem in your business.
That means doing as much as possible to stamp out racism and discrimination of any kind in the company. You need to do what you can to make sure this is never a part of your business. Stamp it out immediately so your working environment is much more pleasant.
Sexism
Unfortunately, even though we live in 2016, sexism is still a part of everyday working life. And many people in the workplace are subjected to sexism on a daily basis.
This is a very real issue, and it can be upsetting for a lot of people. So this is something you need to make sure you deal with as soon as you can.
It’s a very serious matter and one that needs to be treated with care. So, it might be an idea to hold seminars about it to discourage it from happening in the workplace.
You also will need to speak to the perpetrators to make sure they are aware of that they’ve done and they don’t do it again. Sexism is a very negative aspect of the business world, and you don’t want your company tainted by it.
Friction
No workplace is going to have perfect harmony; this is a fact of life. There are always going to be certain people who don’t get along with one another. And this is where you have to make sure you manage them properly.
The last thing you want is a situation that’s spiralling out of control, and people are arguing all the time. So, what you need to do is make sure you nip this in the bud as soon as you can.
There is always bound to be a reason why friction between employees happens. And you need to try to do what you can to get to the bottom of it. If you can sort this out, the working environment will be much more pleasant for everyone.
Bereavement
You will no doubt encounter a situation in which at least one of your employees faces a bereavement. This is going to be a very difficult and upsetting time for those involved, and it’s a situation that you need to treat with care.
Show your staff that you are there for them and that they can come to you with concerns or worries. Encourage them to take time off because they’re going to need it.
There are a lot of absence management programs you can use to keep track of this and find out how your staff are doing. Make sure you are sensitive and understanding, and that you do as much as you can to be there for them.
As a business owner, you need to focus on how you can make things better and what you can do to improve your staff morale. Your employees are the heart and soul of the company, and you’ve got to do as much as you can to ensure you keep them happy. Your employees will have a lot of problems, and it’s important that you deal with these as best you can.
