Mar. 25, 2017 "A loss of civility goes straight to the bottom line": Today I found this article by Lola Rasminsky in the Globe and Mail:
Founder of Beyond the Box, which delivers teambuilding and leadership workshops across Canada
For a word that seems so innocuous, it can cut disconcertingly deep: incivility.
In its least toxic form, it can simply darken your day.
When someone at work makes a snarky remark, or doesn’t look up from their desk when you’re trying to tell them something, it gives you a bad feeling. In fact, it drains the energy right out of your body.
Instead of focusing on what you need to accomplish, your mind can easily go to shadowy places. And you might think,
“To whom can I complain about what just happened?
How can I retaliate?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that person got fired!”
Instead of focusing on what you need to accomplish, your mind can easily go to shadowy places. And you might think,
“To whom can I complain about what just happened?
How can I retaliate?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that person got fired!”
Incivility can take the form of offhand slights, insensitivity, rudeness, arrogance and disregard for the value of others.
No matter what form it takes, it always erodes our feeling of trust.
Who can feel safe in an environment where you know you could be undermined at any time?
No matter what form it takes, it always erodes our feeling of trust.
Who can feel safe in an environment where you know you could be undermined at any time?
A significant factor in the way we define ourselves is the way others react to us.
Our self-esteem plummets when others treat us with disrespect, bully us or hurl insults our way.
More alarming is the well-researched fact that our physical health will be affected – ulcers, heart disease, obesity and diabetes are all known to be exacerbated by stress.
And what can feel more stressful than coming to work every day knowing that you will be diminished by a colleague or a boss? If we don’t feel safe at work, we will not be capable of doing our best.
Our self-esteem plummets when others treat us with disrespect, bully us or hurl insults our way.
More alarming is the well-researched fact that our physical health will be affected – ulcers, heart disease, obesity and diabetes are all known to be exacerbated by stress.
And what can feel more stressful than coming to work every day knowing that you will be diminished by a colleague or a boss? If we don’t feel safe at work, we will not be capable of doing our best.
The word, incivility, shares its roots with the terms that define our ability to function as a civilized society. In effect, incivility is an assertion of disrespect and of power.
It is one short step from bullying. So it is particularly devastating when it is your boss who shows this lack of respect – discredits your work publicly, is busy on her BlackBerry while you’re making a presentation or speaks to you condescendingly.
It is one short step from bullying. So it is particularly devastating when it is your boss who shows this lack of respect – discredits your work publicly, is busy on her BlackBerry while you’re making a presentation or speaks to you condescendingly.
The consequences of incivility in the workplace go straight to the bottom line of the company.
Christine Porath, author of Mastering Civility: A Manifesto for the Workplace, has surveyed more than 20,000 people over a 10-year period. She says the effects of rudeness spread like a virus, and the ability to take feedback or work collaboratively close down.
Christine Porath, author of Mastering Civility: A Manifesto for the Workplace, has surveyed more than 20,000 people over a 10-year period. She says the effects of rudeness spread like a virus, and the ability to take feedback or work collaboratively close down.
Some of Ms. Porath’s other findings on the tangible effects of incivility are startling:
Eighty per cent of workers lost work time worrying about an offending incident;
Eighty per cent of workers lost work time worrying about an offending incident;
Seventy-eight per cent said their commitment to the organization declined;
Sixty-six per cent reported their performance declined;
Forty-eight per cent who had been on the receiving end of incivility intentionally decreased their work effort;
Forty-eight per cent who had been on the receiving end of incivility intentionally decreased their work effort;
Forty-seven per cent intentionally decreased the time spent at work;
Eighty per cent of customers who witness rudeness among employees were unlikely to return to the business.
Eighty per cent of customers who witness rudeness among employees were unlikely to return to the business.
What, then, does it mean when a leader makes incivility his personal policy? Leaders set the tone.
And the world’s most powerful leader has been modelling in your-face incivility for his entire public life.
Calling people names, showing zero consideration for others and focusing on me, me, me is his modus operandi.
Unlike Abraham Lincoln, who exhorted his people to summon their better angels, U.S. President Donald Trump disparages, prevaricates, derides and bullies.
And the world’s most powerful leader has been modelling in your-face incivility for his entire public life.
Calling people names, showing zero consideration for others and focusing on me, me, me is his modus operandi.
Unlike Abraham Lincoln, who exhorted his people to summon their better angels, U.S. President Donald Trump disparages, prevaricates, derides and bullies.
What effect will it have? In terms of the Porath research, the question should be:
What will be the effect on the bottom line, not only in his own country but in the “so-called” civilized world?
That unbridled incivility has the potential not merely to darken a day, but to blacken a whole era.
What will be the effect on the bottom line, not only in his own country but in the “so-called” civilized world?
That unbridled incivility has the potential not merely to darken a day, but to blacken a whole era.
May 8, 2017 "My boss harasses me, but his wife heads HR": Today I found this article in the Globe and Mail:
THE QUESTION
The owner of the business where I work is harassing me. Problem is, his wife is the director of human resources. What should I do?
THE FIRST ANSWER
Julie Labrie
President, Blue Sky Personnel, Toronto
First, document the harassment. Keep a fact-based journal to record the date, time and details of incidents and witnesses who may have been present. Also keep copies of any harassing work e-mails – to back up your claim.
First, document the harassment. Keep a fact-based journal to record the date, time and details of incidents and witnesses who may have been present. Also keep copies of any harassing work e-mails – to back up your claim.
Next, empower yourself with information. Know your company’s harassment policy and research your province’s labour laws to understand how you’re protected.
Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, for example, requires employers to investigate workplace harassment complaints.
Companies must have a procedure for employees to report harassment to a designated person other than the employer – if the employer is the alleged harasser. This person need not be in human resources.
It could be the company’s designated health and safety representative, a member of a business association or even a consultant. Report the harassment to this person designated by your company.
Also consider pro-actively consulting with a lawyer who specializes in this area to fully understand your legal options.
Lastly, if you are not feeling excited and inspired to go to work every day, it may be time to start looking for another job. After all, when it comes to your career, your first loyalty is to yourself.
THE SECOND ANSWER
Kamini Dowe
Associate, Borden Ladner Gervais, Calgary office
Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Often, even the best workplace policies cannot anticipate the strange intricacies of how relationships may play out at work.
Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Often, even the best workplace policies cannot anticipate the strange intricacies of how relationships may play out at work.
Legally, occupational health and safety legislation in Canada puts a general obligation on employers to ensure the health and safety of their employees.
In many provinces, the legislation requires employers to take active steps to address workplace violence and, in certain jurisdictions, this includes bullying and harassment. You may also be entitled to additional protection under human-rights legislation if the harassment stems from a protected ground (i.e., gender, race, disability etc.).
This is because employers are required to provide a workplace that is free from discrimination.
In many provinces, the legislation requires employers to take active steps to address workplace violence and, in certain jurisdictions, this includes bullying and harassment. You may also be entitled to additional protection under human-rights legislation if the harassment stems from a protected ground (i.e., gender, race, disability etc.).
This is because employers are required to provide a workplace that is free from discrimination.
Many workplaces have specific policies in place to address the issue of workplace harassment. The tricky situation in your case is how to bring your complaint forward in an effective way.
If you do not feel comfortable bringing your complaint directly to the human-resources director, consider taking it to another member of your human-resources department or a senior manager.
If you do not feel comfortable bringing your complaint directly to the human-resources director, consider taking it to another member of your human-resources department or a senior manager.
Remember, your employer cannot take steps to address your concerns if it doesn’t first know about them.
In the meantime, keep a written record of your interactions with the owner, including dates, witnesses and a description of the harassing behaviour.
In the meantime, keep a written record of your interactions with the owner, including dates, witnesses and a description of the harassing behaviour.
If your employer ignores your complaint, doesn’t investigate it properly or retaliates against you in any way, there are legal options you may be able to pursue, including a potential claim for constructive dismissal or a human-rights complaint.
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