We live in a society where acting civilly towards each other is becoming more and more rare. The days when an individual's ingrained response was to act politely and respectful to others are gone, as rudeness becomes the norm. This new standard creates an increased financial burden on companies. Workplace ethics need to step up to solve the problem.
Studies show that hurtful behavior in the workplace decreases employee performance increases employee turnover, and negatively affects customer relations.
Rudeness Needs to be Addressed in every Company's Code of Workplace Ethics
Each year more and more employees report that they were treated rudely on a regular basis while at work. Thoughtless actions by managers such as undermining an employee, deliberately ignoring him or her, or public insults, lead to employees feeling unvalued, isolated, and disrespected. The concept of workplace ethics is not reaching these individuals.
This increased prevalence of rudeness, whatever the causes may be, directly affects performance within the workplace. Poorly treated employees spend less time at work, put less effort into their jobs, and feel a decreased sense of loyalty to the company. Overall, employee productivity and effectiveness decrease, hurting the company's bottom line. As employees become more dissatisfied with their working conditions and how they are treated, the desire to find new employment increases, resulting in increased employee turnover. Increased employee turnover raises warning signals to potential new employees who question the reasons why a company is unable to retain its employees.
Ultimately, the customer relationship is also affected. Employees feeling disrespected may pass their feelings of discontent on to the customers. Even if employees remain respectful to the customer, customers who see acts of rude behavior between managers and employees gain a negative perspective towards the company as a whole.
Employees dealing with rude behavior from managers focus less on their work, resulting in an increased incidence of workplace accidents. To prevent this from happening companies must closely examine the company's workplace ethics, both spoken and unspoken, in order to find a solution.
Brad Hurtig is passionate about preventing workplace accidents. He understands the necessity for strong workplace ethics policies. This is driven by the workplace accident that caused Brad to lose both his hands while still in high school. He is determined that no one else should suffer the same fate he has. He brings his message to corporate America, instilling his passion for safe workplaces to employers, managers, and employees making him perfect for companies to book as their next speaker. Brad Hurtig is proud to be a member of the Relevant Speakers Network!