Running a business can be tough. Balancing time restraints alongside company targets and shareholder expectations can be a challenge for any boss. But ensuring your workplace promotes a healthy environment can bring a multitude of benefits.

The recession is no longer in Ireland. The country is experiencing an all-time-low post-crash unemployment rate of 5.3%. A talent war is underway – talent attraction and retention now relies not only on the job itself, but on what your workplace can offer staff.

During our “Fighting Fit” series, employee wellness has been explored, and how you, as an employer, can best support colleagues.

Now it’s time to ask yourself this question: Am I putting workplace health first?
 
Why So Important?
Depending on sector, workplaces can be busy minefields of deadlines, KPIs and office politics. While these are part and parcel of the daily running of a business, the health of the working environment can suffer if these things become a burden.
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• Performance

Whether your business is a coffee shop, a marketing agency or joinery team, performance is key. An unhealthy work environment can affect the performance of your business; unwell colleagues may take time off, effectively causing a loss of ‘hands’, and working hours.

Staff will grow unsatisfied with their roles when pressured by a negative workplace. Quality and motivation will deteriorate, and so too will your performance as whole.

• Reputation

A business often relies on its reputation as a key influence on sales, talent retention and attraction. As workplace health suffers, so too can your reputation. Staff may begin to resent you as an employer or organisation. Their family and friends will hear their negative views, causing a change in perspective towards your company.

If your performance suffers a result of an unhealthy working environment, your reputation amongst customers and future clients may also breakdown. Unable to attract great talent or great customers, your ability to grow successfully may be hindered.
 
How to Put Your Workplace Health First?
In this series of articles, the best approach to encouraging physical and mental health awareness amongst staff has been explored. Clearly employee wellbeing is key for your business, that’s no secret.

But this can be easier said than done. It’s time to put words into actions.
 

• Employee Wellbeing as Culture

Take a strategic approach to workplace health. While organising lunch time walking clubs and a charity marathon is great, these one-off initiatives will not produce long-term impact on your company culture.

A full employee wellbeing programme placed at the heart of your growth strategy has the potential to transform your business. Providing regular physical and mental health initiatives, such as those discussed in the previous articles, will revolutionise your company culture, get colleagues paying attention, and demonstrate your investment in the health and environment of your workplace.
 

• Employee Involvement in their Wellbeing

As you create this strategic approach, involve your colleagues from the beginning. Whether you lead a 5 person or 50 person team, all employees should have a voice on their own wellbeing.

Including your team will help identify key areas they want to focus on, including how they would like to improve their physical and mental health.

Having staff involved from the beginning will provide them with confidence to voice their concerns and ambitions, and foster a culture of openness towards the health of their working environment.

In Ireland alone, 22% of workers report being stressed either “always” or “most of the time”. In 2018, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) found that in just five years, work-related stress had doubled from 8% to 17%, despite Irish salaries rising. 

No matter the sector, any business can significantly suffer from stressed-out staff.
Are your staff feeling the pinch of stress? We explore workplace stress and how your business can effectively address it.
 
Workplace Stress and its Causes
Individuals can experience stress during different periods and in different realms of their personal lives. But stress originating from work-related issues is the most common.

Here’s why:
 

1. Overworking

Overworking can be in the form of longer working hours, harder tasks and less breaks. Stress as a result of an individual overworking isn’t surprising, nor is it uncommon. While some jobs call for longer periods of work at times, this shouldn’t be the norm.

Staff working longer hours can become stressed, not only about their performance but the time lost in their personal lives.

Productivity can be a key component here. A lack of productivity from an individual may mean they have to stay past 5pm to get a task finished. But more often than not, employees are given too many tasks for their working hours.

1. Mismanagement
Unfair distribution of work to some staff over others, work being given to untrained staff, or workloads not being distributed in a timely fashion are the result of mismanagement.

While staff may want to be productive, this can only take place when workplace structures are flexible and expectations are clear.

Mismanagement of staff in any of the above ways can stress out colleagues, leading job dissatisfaction and possibly a loss of talent for your business.  
 
2. Unrealistic Expectations
Having high expectations of your staff and business as a whole is positive – it shows a desire for growth and progress.

However, expectations can quickly become unrealistic if you are not careful. Productivity is important for any business, but if staff are stressed, this can hamper your ability to perform.

Expecting staff to complete heavy workloads in an unrealistic time can cause stress and hinder productivity. If staff lack critical training, and the working hours to complete those tasks, quality will suffer and so too will their mental health.
 
3. Poor Company Culture
If staff feel overworked, mismanaged and under pressure from unrealistic expectations, company culture can be poor.

The cultural pressure to work harder and for longer can take its toll on your employees. No longer will your workplace be viewed as positive by staff and their families. Your reputation as an employer may also suffer.

This cultural expectation damages an employee’s work-life balance. Becoming increasingly stressed, staff may feel demotivated and unsatisfied as a representative of your company. Your talent retention may suffer, as staff seek a better working culture, and business performance will undoubtedly deteriorate.
 
How Best to Support Stressed-Out Staff
As a business, its crucial that you work to prevent stress from taking over your staff. It can hinder productivity, deteriorate relations between staff and your company and damage your reputation as an employer.

So, what can be done?
 
1. Monitoring
Without turning into ‘big brother’, monitoring your staff, the hours they work and the tasks they can complete will indicate how overworked they may be.

This can help to resolve any mismanagement issues, with all staff benefitting from fairer task distribution and a breakdown of unrealistic expectations.
 
2. Improve Company Culture
This will not be an overnight solution. But small steps can make a difference. These include ensuring:

• All breaks are taken by staff
• All staff have the opportunity to confidentially voice concerns or issues that may be causing them to feel stressed
• Staff are offered the opportunity to get away from work stations during breaks

Company culture is crucial for employees to experience great job satisfaction. If a culture is negative, this can induce work-related stress and damage your business during the long term.
 
3. Training
Adequate training of all staff in their roles is crucial. Staff will feel stressed when they are overworked, but this can also creep-in when they feel unable to complete certain tasks.

If they are forced to take longer to complete a task, this can impede on an employee’s work-life balance.

In Ireland, mental health is now high on the agenda for employers as a way of differentiating themselves and increasing their talent acquisition. To remain a competitive employer, your business should take mindfulness training seriously.

In fact, studies have found that staff who feel the need to mask their feelings can experience exhaustion and stress.

​Demonstrating your willingness to invest in your own staff’s mental health, training in mindfulness will give employees the ability to voice concerns and ensure they are fighting fit for your organisation.  

Whether its 9-5 or shift work, balancing a job with a personal life is a common daily challenge for many of us. While the importance of your physical health cannot be understated, mental health is just as critical in the workplace.

Ireland suffers from one of the highest rates of mental illness in Europe, costing the economy a staggering €8.2 billion per year.

What are you doing to support your staff’s mental health?

Mental Health Challenges in 2019
In 2019, mental health remains rightly on top of the agenda. Last year, 1 in 8 Irish people reported suffering from chronic depression at one point in their lives. While mental illness covers a range of issues, the most common workplace issues include stress, depression, anxiety and mood disorders.

Depression and anxiety are increasingly plaguing the Irish workplace. With Irish teenagers reporting most commonly anxiety, these issues aren’t going away.

Mood disorders, including bipolar disorder, are also challenging Irish workplaces, with 45,000 Irish people suffering from BD in 2018.
 
Importance of Mental Fitness in the Workplace
Just like poor physical health, poor mental health can impact on business performance.

Staff who feel unsupported while suffering mentally are more likely to take time off, risking talent loss as a result.

Most of all, a business with a positive and fun working environment can thrive, and so too can its staff. By ensuring mental fitness is taken as seriously as physical fitness, you can foster great productivity and a healthy place to work for your staff.
 
How Your Business Can Help

• Foster an Open Culture

A company’s culture can be crucial for an employee’s mental health journey. Fostering a culture of openness amongst staff or keeping an ‘open door’ policy for colleagues will break down the stigma of mental illness.

Building approachability into the corners of your business, from senior management downwards, will go a long way in creating a healthy work environment for all.
 

• Mental Health Policy

In the age of workplace bullying and social media policies, consider putting a mental health policy in place.

Providing staff time to attend counselling sessions, hosting awareness training or having procedures in place to support staff suffering mentally will build a healthy work environment.

By putting a policy in place and taking mental fitness seriously, your staff’s work-life balance will improve, and so too will your reputation.

• Working Smart

In the past, hard work was often associated with long hours and stress. That should no longer be the case. Your business can support mental health by encouraging staff to work smarter, not harder.

Motivate staff to be productive during the day, ensure workloads are manageable and keep a check on staff who may be struggling mentally.

• Exercise and Relaxation

Show support for mental illness by hosting work exercise or relaxation classes.

Physical activity can benefit a person’s physical and mental fitness. Providing time for staff to have fun with these activities will improve your reputation and productivity. But most of all, a healthy work environment will benefit all. 
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The traditional 9-5 routine is waning. The rise of the freelance gig economy continues. But keeping physically active while balancing a job remains a challenge.

Your business can make a positive impact on your staff’s health, by encouraging them to look after themselves physically.
 
Challenges to Physical Fitness at Work
Different jobs and sectors can hinder a person’s ability to keep physically fit in different ways. While manual labour may provide staff more opportunities to be active, these roles can result in injuries and muscle strains.

Meanwhile office jobs restrict a person’s ability to move and be active during their working day, and coupled with posture issues, these roles can lead to further deterioration in physical health.
 
Importance of Physical Fitness at Work
Workplace health can impact your company’s performance and reputation as an employer.

When employees suffer from poor physical health, their attendance and performance can also suffer. Meanwhile, your talent retention may deteriorate, as staff members are forced to leave work due to poor health.

A business who does not look after their employees’ health can suffer from reputational damage, affecting its ability to attract further talent and possibly customers.
 
How Your Business Can Help
Ultimate responsibility may lie with the employee, but you can motivate your staff to keep physically active in a number of ways:

• Weekly Running and Walking Clubs

Hosting lunchtime or after-work running and walking clubs can keep staff active. Demonstrating interest in their health while providing the opportunity to get out of the office will encourage staff to prioritise their physical health.

Charity efforts could also be paired with these activities, encouraging staff to complete a set distance for sponsorship. Physical activity paired with the opportunity to fundraise can raise job satisfaction and benefit your business in the long-term.

• Fresh Fruit Freebies

Free coffee or tea is great. But providing free fresh fruit to staff can encourage them to make healthier food choices, and improve their physical fitness.

Fruit boosts brain power, resulting in increased productivity. By swapping sugary snacks for healthier fruit options, your business can motivate staff to stay healthy.

• Gym Membership Discounts

Keeping active and eating healthy can be costly, with the expense prohibiting many from taking out a gym membership or attending exercise classes.

While hosting walking or running clubs can be cost-effective option, providing gym membership discounts is another way to encourage your staff to keep physically active.

• Desk Makeovers

An ergonomic makeover of staff stations or desks can boost physical health.

Standing desks can improve staff posture, preventing RSI, back pain and other injuries. Desk bikes, under-desk stair steppers or arm exercisers are just some of the ergonomic desk tools that are on offer to combat staff fatigue and poor physical health.

• Charity Campaigns

Hosting physical activities or challenges in the name of charity can motivate staff to look after their physical fitness.

Whether it’s a sponsored walk or something more extreme, charity campaigns demonstrate your investment in your employees’ health and your desire to give back to the community.

 
As workplaces evolve and seek ways to improve and motivate staff, bringing pets to work is growing in popularity.
Millennials are more likely to share their lives with pets than any other generation. So for employers, finding ways to facilitate pet ownership could give them the edge when attracting talent.
From stress reduction to job satisfaction and improved employee retention, having pets around the office can significant boost employee health and engagement.
With 8% of US and UK employers now allowing dogs in the workplace, get ahead of your competitors and offer an alternative benefit to your workforce.  
 
Risks Involved
Despite the benefits, the risks involved can cause concern and should be dealt with through an effective policy.
Making employees aware of the risks and company policy can avoid mishaps and ensure that all employees can benefit from a pet-friendly workplace:

• Litigation- Manage this risk by having the appropriate liability insurance in place as well as a signed agreement, making clear the employee’s responsibility for any liability suffered by the employer by permitting dogs in the workplace.

 

• Cultural sensitivities- some religions consider dogs unclean. Other cultures are familiar with dogs only as guard dogs, and as a result find them threatening. This means that designated ‘dog-friendly’ and ‘dog-free’ areas are a must.

 

• Allergies- 15-30% of allergic people are allergic to cats and dogs and some of the allergens will linger in an area that the animal has been even after they leave. Dog-friendly and dog-free zones are vital when managing these allergens.  

 

• Health- there may be concern around zoonotic diseases such as parasites. Having guidelines surrounding regular vet check-ups and vaccinations where appropriate could address this issue. Additionally, simple, basic hand hygiene can negate almost all risks.

 

• Phobias- some staff may have a fear or dislike of dogs. Making new employees aware of the dog-friendly nature of the office, and the provisions made for those less keen on dogs (dog-free spaces) at recruitment stage can avoid any nasty surprises once new employees start.

 

• Behaviour- a badly behaved dog has the potential to be a source of conflict and frustration in the workplace. Any workplace policies must make employees aware of this risk and their responsibility for their dog.

 
 
Creating Your Own Dog-Friendly Policy
While you may wish to contact other employers in your industry who operate a dog-friendly policy, my new book provides useful examples of policies implemented by several companies.
To find out more about creating a workplace that is truly dog-friendly, rather than one that simply allows dogs, take a look at my book ‘Office Dogs: The Manual’ which will be released in March 2019 or get in touch to book a private consultation for your business.

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Steph Rousseau is an Irish dog trainer and behaviourist with an interest in facilitating dogs in the workplace. Her book on the subject, Office Dogs: The Manual, is being published internationally over the coming months, with the Norwegian version already available and the English version to follow in March 2019.
 
She offers office dog consultations for businesses considering implementing or improving a dog-friendly policy, as well as talks and workshops in organisations which allow dogs. You can contact her at steph@stephsdogtraining.ie for more information.

2019’s workplace is a melting pot of cultures, lifestyles and backgrounds.

Millennials now make up a larger share of the Irish workplace than Baby Boomers and Gen Xers put together. By 2030, people aged 60 or over will make up 30% of the global population.

By tackling growing age brackets head-on, you business can fight ageism. Age does not matter, but ageism does.
 
Ageism: What Is It?
Known as discrimination of an individual’s age, ageism can greatly affect workplace dynamics. Age shouldn’t matter, but its inclusion in your diversity strategy does.

An ageing population coupled with a gradual rise in Millennials and Gen Z’ers entering the workplace has led to growing cases of ageism. Despite this, ageism is often placed on the backburner, when compared with other forms of discrimination.
 
Age Diversity and its Benefits
From interns to long-time, loyal colleagues, having a range of ages brings a wealth of different experiences to the office.

Not only can experience enhance performance, it will also showcase your business as inclusive and progressive to your stakeholders and customers.

In fact, recent McKinsey research indicates that corporate culture and business performance will greatly improve as a result of greater diversity awareness.

Age diversity will benefit staff, allowing them to provide their own individual skills and knowledge, while acknowledging their colleagues’ talent, irrelevant of age. Adding to staff cohesiveness, workplace culture will improve as a result. all
 
How Can You Prevent Ageism?
Ageism can be avoided through a number of different methods:
 
·         Training and Awareness
Diversity training should be a first port of call for your business.

From small remarks, to larger discriminatory acts based on age, your business can demonstrate the impact ageism can make on company culture.

By training staff to be aware that age does not matter in the workplace, an inclusive environment can be fostered for all.
 
·         Networking Opportunities
Providing staff with opportunities to mix and meet each other can allow time for employees to learn common interests separate from their age.

Differences based on an age gap can be broken down, replaced with common talking points for staff to develop their work relationships.

Business performance will inevitably improve, enhancing your reputation as an inclusive and successful employer.
 
·         Policies
While the above techniques can teach and train employees to be aware of ageism in the workplace, some incidents may still occur. Treating this discrimination seriously as a business is vital.

By implementing disciplinary policies and procedures, all staff will be made aware of the consequences of ageist actions or remarks.

Your business can continue successful diversification, creating a well-respected and inclusive environment for both staff and customers alike.
 
Age Does Not Matter, But Ageism Does
In 11 years, the Irish workplace will host a much greater range of ages than in 2019.

​It’s more important than ever to ensure age does not matter and that diversity is at the top of the agenda in your workplace.  

Christmas is well and truly upon us. We all dream of the end to that classic poem, “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”.

But what happens when a Christmas or New Year staff party ends on a bad note for some? And what about employees’ conduct at social gatherings not related to work?

During party season it’s crucial that all businesses, large or small, have procedures in place for when the unfortunate happens – here are the do’s and don’ts.
 
Work Parties

1. DO Make Employees Aware of the Rules

Remember, the time of year is irrelevant – employees are representatives of their companies. Like any meeting with a client, employees should keep high standards at all engagements, including work parties.

From bullying and harassment policies, to procedures relating to dignity at work, an employer can help prevent mishaps by making staff aware of the expectations.

There is no need to be Scrooge about it. Sending an email explaining all expectations and offering staff the chance to query anything will provide employees with the necessary information, giving you peace of mind to enjoy your own party season.

1. DO Set an Example

It is crucial that management set an example to their subordinate colleagues.

Employees on a work night out are your responsibility. Ahead of work parties, plan to have one or more senior staff members monitoring the party for any possible trouble and acting to prevent it from brewing over.

Employers can also set a good example by ensuring all employees have an adequate way home after the party. By sending an email beforehand reminding employees to arrange travel, as well as to mind their behaviour, you can cover all bases.
 

1. DO Provide Staff with a Social Media Policy

A social media policy sent to all colleagues ahead of a work party lets everyone know what’s acceptable and expected. Prohibiting any videos or images from the staff night out from being published online, this policy protects your company’s reputation.

A social media policy will also demonstrate that as an employer, bullying, harassment or poor behaviour online will not be tolerated, demonstrating the consequences of this to staff.
 

1. DO NOT Discipline on the Spot

While it may be tempting in the heat of the moment, if poor behaviour from an employee does occur, businesses are best to discipline an employee at a later stage, rather than during the party itself.

This will ensure all legal procedures are followed correctly while all parties are in the right state of mind and will prevent situations becoming more heated during the night out.
 
Non-Work Parties

1. DO Ensure Staff are Aware Work Party Expectations Extend to their own Social Lives

Everyone is entitled to enjoy their own social and personal festivities.  

But employees are still representatives of your business. To prevent reputational damage during non-work engagements, it is vital that you communicate your expectations.

By making employees aware that work social rules exist outside of work-related events, staff members will be clear of their responsibility as a business representative.
 

1. DO Extend Your Social Media Policy

As with work parties, your company’s reputation is also at risk from staff social media outside working hours.

Extending a social media policy and making staff aware of your expectations will bring clarity to what is and is not acceptable to post on social media after nights out.

Employees are of course entitled to their own beliefs and opinions, so long as these do not infringe on another’s entitlements. Social media policy extension will prevent reputational damage as well as bullying or harassment online.
 

1. DO NOT Infringe on Employee Social Lives

While an employer can monitor social media for poor behaviour, send emails and letters to staff to make them aware of work procedures and policies for social nights out, it is crucial that businesses keep their distance.

An employer should seek to make employees understand their expectations, while avoiding infringement on the personal lives of staff, keeping a distance between the employee and the individual. 

In the last article, the importance of avoiding gender bias for diversity purposes in the workplace was discussed. While gender has become something of a hot topic in recent months, other forms of diversity must be kept in mind.
This article focuses on the importance and best approaches to supporting disability in the workplace.
From practical measures to cultural issues, workplaces can reap the benefits of diversification by supporting disability.

Why Support Disability?
78% of disabled people acquire disability during their working life. Whether it’s a physical, learning or mental disability, it can have life changing consequences for an individual and their family.
Businesses, particularly SMEs, will face the challenge of adapting their operations and culture to meet the needs of that newly disabled individual. If your business does not make the effort to adapt, you run the risk of:

• losing valuable talent
  
• damaging your reputation
  
• severing your ability to retain or attract diverse talent to your business
  
• failing to provide equal opportunities to all staff
  

How Can Businesses Support Disabled Staff Practically?
The benefits to having disabled staff is clear. Not only does your business benefit from  their talent, but the diversity that these individuals bring will improve your workplace culturally.
While there are minimum reasonable adjustments that can be made, it is important that organisations strive to offer the best working environment for disabled colleagues.

• Accessible Premises
  

It’s common sense but this is crucial for individuals with physical disabilities. Adjusting premises both internally and externally to suit the needs of a disabled individual will make this individual feel valued by their employer, and optimise their performance.

• Altering Work Patterns
  

Getting to work can be tough at times for most people; rush hour, school runs, public transport, work commutes are stressful to say the least. Paired with a disability, traditional work patterns can become unsustainable.
Consider  altering working hours or rota patterns to allow disabled colleague(s), to tailor their working day according to what works best for them and their disability.
Not only will this increase staff retention, but businesses can ensure jobs are complete and disabled staff are satisfied with their work routine.

• Modify Work Materials and Equipment
  

This solution is important for businesses trying to adapt to an individual’s physical disability.
Whether an individual has sight or hearing loss, lives with a learning disability or struggles to use certain equipment due to another physical disability, workplaces can invest in their colleagues, adapting materials and equipment to suit their needs.
1 in 5 adults live with a learning disability. From dyslexia and ADHD, to more complex needs, adapting materials and equipment can be crucial to retain this talent.
Businesses could also adapt by acquiring further forms of equipment which may assist a disabled individual to perform their tasks well and in turn, aid an organisation’s performance.

How Can Businesses Support Disabled Staff Culturally?
While practical measures are crucial to improving the working environment for someone living with a disability, a whole business will only improve if its staff understand a disability, adapting company culture accordingly.
Your business can dramatically improve the lives of disabled colleagues by moving beyond compliance, and ensuring that your culture is inclusive to all, regardless of needs.

• Staff Awareness Training
  

By providing educational training to all staff on all forms of disability, this can create an inclusive culture for disabled colleagues as well as customers.
While physical disability can be easy to spot, mental and learning disabilities can be a challenge. People, out of no fault of their own, may be unaware of what a disability may mean for an individual, and how best they can provide for their needs.
Staff training will ensure all colleagues understand fully the implications of certain disabilities, allowing them to become more inclusive of colleagues and customers dealing with those implications.

• Aim High: Awards
  

If your business wants to take its diversity seriously, aiming high to win disability and diversity awards can improve company culture dramatically.
Showcasing how you treasure your diversity, and your disabled colleagues, organisations can improve their reputation, attract more diverse, quality talent as well as ensure all colleagues feel valued and included by the company culture.
Culturally diverse teams, big or small, can help to deliver better outcomes for your business, fostering creatively and inclusivity, while providing equal opportunities for all.


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The ‘G’ word. From the recent ‘Me Too’ movement sprung by the Harvey Weinstein scandal, to calls for equal gender quotas, gender has dominated headlines increasingly over the last 12 months. But how can a business avoid gender bias in their workplace?

This article explores gender bias globally, the impact it has on the workplace, as well as how businesses can practically breakdown gender bias through working conditions, staff composition and awareness.
 
Global Gender Bias
Gender bias is a global issue. In the USA, women earn on average 21% less than men, and only 4% of fortune 500 companies are lead by women.  Despite the 1970 Equal Pay Act, UK women earn 81p for every pound earned by men in 2018.

Closer to home, Irish women face a pay gap of 13.9%, with occupations remaining divided significantly by gender. Meanwhile, Iceland and other Nordic countries take the top spots for equal pay.

Gender bias remains global. Its impact can be detrimental to any working environment, its demographics and its diversity.
 
The Impact of Gender Bias
Workplace dynamics can be severely impacted by gender bias. Women returning from maternity leave may face bias for promotion, due to their absence while other male co-workers have continued within the workplace network.

Others may face bias within work meetings, as their voices may not be heard over male colleagues, or their opinions not listened to adequately.
 

• Staff Turnover

Resentment sown by gender bias could lead to higher staff turnover, as female workers seek out other organisations with less bias.

If you are a small business, increased staff turnover can cause a loss of talent and performance, damaging your reputation.
 

• Lack of Diversity

Organisational diversity may also be damaged as a result of gender bias. If your business is not managed by both men and women, this culture may spread downwards, with more promotion and earnings received by men.
Businesses which do not take this cultural issue seriously will lack the ability to change in the future.

A lack of diversity can harm your business, showcasing its inability to create a culture of equality. Skills gaps can form as a result, making attracting new talent difficult for your workplace.
 
How Can Your Business Tackle Gender Bias?
Consciously or unconsciously, most workplaces are host to some element of gender bias. But businesses can act now to tackle this bias and transform their working environments.
 

• Equal Work Means Equal Work

A Workplace Experiences Survey has revealed that women were 29% more likely to do ‘office housework’ tasks than their male colleagues. Whether cleaning up after a meeting, taking minutes or fetching a morning round of coffee, these small tasks are often done by women more than men.

Equal work should mean equal work. Promotions won’t happen by making sure the rubbish is done every Wednesday.

By assigning equal tasks for both men and women, a business can breakdown gender bias in the workplace, providing all colleagues with equal opportunities for career progression.  

Rather than asking for volunteers, a weekly rota for general ‘household’ and administrative tasks could be established. Management can ensure all staff are given equal assignments which will allow them to develop their careers and experience.
 

• Awareness and Training

It may seem obvious, but gender bias can be tackled by providing awareness training for all staff.

Allowing colleagues the time to reflect on their thoughts can make them more aware of how easily unconscious gender bias can creep into the workplace and give them training to prevent it.
 

• Decisions, Decisions: A Group Approach

From promotions, to contracts, to bonuses, businesses face a lot of decision-making. While management faces these challenges, unconscious gender bias can creep in.

Avoid this by making all staff decisions with fellow management or supervisory colleagues. Of course, depending on the size of a business, any present HR professionals should also be involved in crucial decisions.

This will help to breakdown gender bias, and ensure all decisions reflect the merits of staff, not their sex or gender.
 

• Fair Targets for All

A business can act against gender bias by providing all staff with fair targets, such as job bands. If all staff are aware of job roles and performance targets, this can prevent gender bias from causing dispute in the workplace.

Organisations can also ensure that all assignments are given to staff according to the targets they are expected to meet. Both men and women can be evaluated and monitored equally, giving equal opportunity of progression to all.
 
What About Gender Quotas?
Adoption of gender quotas has increased gradually in recent years, sparking debate over their value.

While these targets may mean businesses have figures to achieve, ensuring women are given more senior roles, others have argued that the reduction of women to numbers may mean their promotion will not be based rightfully on their merits, skills or experience, but rather their gender.

On the other hand, as the statistics presented at the beginning demonstrate, a clear need to address gender bias globally persists.

Whether you are for or against gender quotas, you can act now to breakdown gender bias, introduce better diversity within the workplace and ensure all colleagues receive equal opportunities.
 

When any staff member leaves, it can be a difficult time for a company. If an employee leaves under negative circumstances, it can prove much more a challenge.

In this age of social media, high profile employee exits have the potential to dominate headlines, local and global. And with an increasing number of employees making cases against former employers, businesses need to prepare for resignations.

Preparation, procedures and a willingness to hear feedback can ensure effective employee exit management.

This article will explore the risks involved with an employee’s departure and how businesses can effectively manage both amicable and negative employee exits.
 
Employee Exit Risk: Loss of Talent
Employee departures can be difficult to manage for any company, but particularly for SMEs. With limited resources, this loss of talent can sever an enterprise’s ability to perform.

This can damage its reputation, as a business will struggle to keep up with their workloads for their customers or clients.  
 
Employee Exit Risk: Workplace Dynamics
By nature, workplaces large or small, rely on the teams that work on their behalf.

In other words, when an employee leaves, particularly from SMEs, remaining staff members have to take up the shortfall, leading to heavier workloads and a deterioration in workplace dynamics.

Resentment towards a company can increase, leading to higher staff turnovers. Again, this can spell trouble for small businesses, as they balance the need to meet tasks with keeping their staff content.
 
Managing an Amicable Employee Exit
While a hostile employee exit can be extremely difficult for a company to tackle, both during and after their departure, a cordial departure can also be a challenge.

While their exit may not be confrontational, they will have their reasons for leaving. Take measures to ensure such departures remain amicable and your relationship with former employee remains positive.

• Feedback

Take time to discuss your employee’s reasons for leaving, by asking for feedback.

Their honest thoughts about the company, its management and processes, will help you improve your working environment for remaining and future employees.

This approach also helps you to maintain a positive relationship with the former employee, while demonstrating a commitment to improve the workplace for existing staff. This can help prevent further staff turnover, ensuring your business continues to perform.

• Exit Interviews

A business can manage an amicable departure effectively by conducting exit interviews.

Such measures can ensure employees feel that their contribution to the company was valued. In turn, an employer can also improve their brand.

It is only natural that that employee will discuss their previous employment with their new colleagues, friends and family. If an employee were to feel undervalued by you as an employer, this could damage your reputation and brand with other publics.

Exit interviews will help to form lasting positive relationships between an employer and a departing employee, as well as provide a further opportunity for a business to improve their culture for remaining staff.
 
Managing a Negative Employee Exit
High profile, negative employee departures can severely impact an organisation, its reputation with stakeholders, and the workplace dynamics among remaining staff.

Not only can such exits damage an employer’s branding, but they have the potential to generate talent shortages as a result of higher staff turnover. Clearly a company’s ability to manage these hostile departures effectively is crucial.

While ensuring the departing employee provides feedback and received an exit interview is also crucial during more confrontational departures, an organisation must effectively plan legally for negative departures.

• Notice Periods

A business can conduct employee exit management effectively, by ensuring all staff are aware of notice periods, and their legal requirement to work for the full notice period.

• Company Materials

A business should plan ahead, ensuring that company materials can be effectively protected during the negative departure of an employee.

Ensuring employees have not taken confidential data, records or materials by checking hard copy materials as well as computers, businesses can protect themselves throughout these negative departures.

• Fulfil Legal Obligations

A company can protect themselves from possible legal challenges by ensuring that it fulfils all legal obligations to a departing employee.

Whether it means that all wages owed are paid efficiently, employees are aware of all required legal notices, and/or all benefit packages are met, companies can attempt to reduce the hostility of an exit, while meeting all legal obligations as an employer.
 
Plan Ahead for Effective Employee Exit Management
Whether an employee’ departure is amicable or not, a business can best prepare and conduct effective employee exit management by planning departure procedures ahead.

​This will ensure a company can protect themselves legally, ensure that its brand or reputation is not damaged amongst internal and external publics, as well as ensure optimum performance is continued.