Managing in the age of #MeToo

Having a happy and productive group of employees is the goal of companies of all sizes. Creating that culture is important from the earliest stages of a company’s lifecycle and it applies to companies with 2 employees as well as companies with thousands of employees.

Recently we have seen companies such as Uber take serious hits because they neglected taking the necessary steps early in their history to create of culture that makes its employees feel safe and happy. We have also seen leaders, such as Harvey Weinstein, think they are above the rules and laws in place to protect people from being harassed or worse in the workplace. We need to see these types of events as cautionary tales and take the steps to make sure your company is free of those threats.

As the owner of a small business you may think that you are exempt from having employees who feel harassed or unwelcome at work. That is not the case, and with a small business this type of event could spell the end of your business. It is imperative that you keep up with current HR rules and processes and craft your own employee manual. This should state the values that your company stands for and should also include rules that protect everyone from harassment or a feeling of being unwelcome. Just look at the steps Starbucks has taken recently because one of their employees made some customers feel unwelcome in a store.

Your policies should spell out what is considered unacceptable behavior among employees of all levels and between employees and customers or clients. It must include all employees including employee #1. There should also include a process for reporting infractions and steps to deal with them. You also need to make sure your employees are aware of the policies and procedures for recourse. This employee manual can be a printed manual but increasingly it is online for everyone to see as needed and to allow for updates as your company grows and interactions become more complex.

This may seem like a knee jerk reaction to a current news cycle but it really is a risk management function. Removing risks to the success of your business should be a major role played by a company owner or leader. Creating an atmosphere where employees feel safe and happy to be there will improve their productivity and positively affect your bottom line.

If you need help creating an employee manual or in training your staff on it we are ready to help. Information@mbfcandc.com www.mbfcandc.com