Social Responsibility: How does your workplace rate?

If you were to ask most business owners or managers in larger corporations, if there was bullying in their workplace, what do you think the response would be?

What would your response be?

Most would take the ‘head-in-the-sand’ approach and deny that it affects their workplace. Some may acknowledge it happens, but few would feel that it is common in their workplace, or on their ‘watch’.

Is that a reasonable view?

A recent study by the University of Sheffield uncovered some interesting figures.

39% of employees reported weekly or daily bullying from work mates, subordinates and superiors in the workplace. Evidence of strong links between workplace bullying and the psychological ill-health of employees was also discovered.

In this, the 21st Century, Gen Y’s have made cyber bullying almost an art form. Typically it is by text message, but there is plenty of evidence that social network sites are also being used for this purpose too.

This is probably the most common reason why employers don’t want staff ‘socialising’ in these mediums.

However, an interesting finding is that facebook and twitter are becoming the new ‘smoko’. That is, when people have their breaks, instead of going down to the coffee machine, going to the staff room for a chat, or perhaps going for a walk to stretch their legs, staff are opting to use their ‘break’ time to log on and check out what is happening, or communicate with friends.

So for those businesses that have a policy of ‘no personal computer use’ or ‘no personal mobile phone use’ during business hours, would that be a positive thing or a negative for employees? How does you Social Responsibility rate?

According to Gallup Consulting, preventing staff from logging on to social network sites will very likely damage his or her overall sense of well being.

Its has been shown that social time is essential to your staffs wellbeing, and it has also been shown to boost productivity.

The global 15 year study showed employees that spend a lot of time (up to six hours a day) socialising around the cooler, down the pub or on social networking sites, are happier and more satisfied in their chosen career.

Allan Watkinson from Gallup Consulting maintains that instead of  banning social networks during the working day, employers would do better if they encouraged their staff to embrace technology, discovering new ways or opportunities to socialise, thus delivering benefits to your business.

Anyone who understands the benefits of networking would   probably appreciate the concept better.

Personally, I’m not totally convinced that twitter or facebook are network opportunities, but it does give staff an opportunity not to feel so isolated during their working day. Figures indicated that only 20% of employees ‘really like’ what they do each day, so 80% need help to make their job experience better.

The Gallup research found that time spent socialising, either by email, in person or via social network sites, contributed to  employees thriving in their overall well-being.

Another contributing factor in staff dissatisfaction is the lack of flexibility by employers. This could relate directly to employees wanting a more social environment, but it is also the main reason why 18 % of people consider quitting their job.

Although flexibility is the main employment driver for parents,  Gen Y’s are more likely to leave a job than any other age group, sighting lack of flexibility by employers as the main concern.

In what is becoming the fastest growing segment of today’s workforce, Gen Y’s are stamping some authority on the employment sector, but becoming are ‘hard beast to tame‘ in the process.

They prefer to communicate through e-mail and text messaging rather than face-to-face contact and are more interested, in general, to trade high pay for fewer billable hours, flexible schedules and a better work/life balance.

According to About.com, Gen Y are confident, ambitious and achievement-oriented. They have high expectations of their employers, constantly seek out new challenges and are certainly not afraid to question authority.

They seek the input and affirmation of others as well as crave attention in the form of feedback and guidance. They also expect to be kept in the loop and seek frequent praise and reassurance.

Most Gen Y’s I come across want to start at management level as a minimum, and expect to be in senior roles within the company in a very short space of time.

As an employer then, gone are the days when staff were given a task and expected to get the job done in the appropriate time.

Now, it seems, we must balance that with the Social Responsibility that has been thrust on us by the new ‘working class’. How does your workplace rate?

I don’t say it is a bad thing, but it does raise the question of how the rest of us survived when we were growing up, doesn’t it?

Shane Drew

www.dsi.net.au
[email protected]