Going to work should be a thoroughly enjoyable thing. It is a place where we go to progress in life, learn new skills, and meet new people who can have a positive impact on our lives. Work is always something that should be viewed as a safe arena to be our true selves and build for the future.
Given how diverse the world is these days, when we start a new job or have been working at a company for a while, we are bound to meet new people and come across new situations. Because of this, it opens itself up to the possibility of issues such as arguments, fallouts, or sometimes even verbal or physical attacks. It’s just a fact of life that we are not going to get on with everyone, so be prepared for this eventuality, especially for companies who wish to promote employee wellbeing, is an absolute must.
For any company wishing to grow and attract top talent, they need to be extremely mindful of how they are perceived and the impact that negligence in safety and welfare can have on their business. Putting the right processes in now and building a meaningful support system will allow your workforce to carry out their roles safely in the knowledge that you fully have their back if something goes wrong. This will in turn boost productivity, happiness, and overall efficiency of those in the workplace.
So What Are 6 Ways To Ensure That Your Workplace Is A Safe Environment For Everyone?
Implement The Correct Procedures
Making sure that everyone is on the same page with regards to processes will stop people from panicking or causing havoc when they wish to report a safety issue. The key here is to reiterate consistently what the rules and procedures are, bringing everyone under the same roof and aligning people’s expectations or potential worries. The last thing you want is for multiple events to happen and for everyone to react differently, causing an overload of stress for those who are in charge of dealing with it.
Act As Soon As There Is A Potential Issue
You need to lay down the law and let everyone know that your employee’s safety and wellbeing are the highest priority. Nipping an issue in the bud immediately will not only be beneficial for the person who has raised the issue, but sets a standard among everyone else that they cannot get away with unwanted or unlawful behavior when working under your roof.
Enforce A Zero Tolerance Policy
Everyone who works for your company needs to be aware that you will not tolerate anything that threatens your safe working environment. As bad as it seems, there are some bad people in the world and unless they show their true selves it can be hard to detect. That’s why it is super important to view the content from EasyLlama.com and try to stop things before they happen, and let people know there will be serious consequences if they engage in acts that make others feel unsafe or threatened.
Instill Trust In Your Employees
The last thing you want is for people to think they have no one to turn to if they feel unsafe at work. When someone is starting a new role within your company, be sure to include the safety procedures in the beginners’ manual or handbook. Not only this but be kind and let them know you are there if they ever feel threatened, unsafe, or uneasy when working for your business. You have a duty of care to that person and this needs to be instilled at your earliest opportunity.
Learn From Previous Situations
Everyone makes mistakes in life and especially if you are a fairly new business, you might be new to building your processes and the way you handle situations. The important thing is to learn from previous situations so you can better yourself next time. Maybe someone has come to you previously with a safety concern and you were unsure on how to handle it, but looking back now you are better equipped when that kind of thing arises again.
Provide Hand Sanitisers & Hand Wash For Everyone To Use
In terms of personal safety, it is even more important during the current situation that you provide plenty of hand sanitizer for people to use whilst in the office working. It will also be useful to provide plenty of NHS guidelines around the workplace and ensure everyone knows how we can all help each other to get through this pandemic.
Your employee’s safety is your number one priority as without them you don’t have a business, so make sure you invest the time and energy into getting the fundamentals right.