Human Rights in the Workplace
Human Rights Day – December 10th
Human Rights in the Workplace
December 10th is recognised globally as Human Rights Day – marking the anniversary of 1948’s signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This declaration is what outlines the guiding principles followed globally to protect people against discrimination or harm, no matter their birthplace, background or lived experience.
You may be wondering what an organisation providing Leadership and Management Development have to do with the UN – but this topic is relevant to every aspect of our work. It shapes our work because there can be no good Leadership without building the values, behaviours and culture of any organisation around these basic principles and human rights.
UN Human Rights Chief, Volker Türk released a video marking the event, in which he said: “Human rights are about people. They are about you and your life: your needs and wants and fears; your hopes for the present and the future.”
With the 2024 theme centred on “Our rights, our future, right now,” the UN campaign states that human rights are a ‘pathway to solutions, as they play a critical role as a preventative, protective and transformative force for good, particularly in times of crises’. If we zoom in from their global political perspective and focus on the environment in which people work, we see that the same message holds true.
Türk went on to say that “human rights impact and concern everyone, everywhere, every day and, because of their centrality in our lives, they should empower individuals, communities, and peoples to build a better future” – and, as Leaders and Managers of your own organisation, we know that empowerment should be a key goal for the culture within your teams, and what you inspire in your people.
But how?
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Every organisation has – even if it’s informally – a set of guidelines or ‘rules’ for how people should behave; for the rights and wrongs, the responsibilities and expectations, of every employee. Every workplace has procedures for measuring performance, setting targets, and monitoring progress.
Not every organisation, however, is consistent in how these guidelines are implemented.
There are (unfortunately) still too many workplaces where people don’t feel ‘safe’ – where behaviours and attitudes that harm others are ignored, where a toxic culture or even toxic people are not accountable for this harm. Where ‘jokes’ or ‘banter’ are part of the environment, and anyone who isn’t comfortable with those behaviours is labelled a troublemaker.
Most of us can recall an incident at work where something inappropriate – or even overtly discriminatory or abusive – was brushed off; where “that’s just the way it is” and “you need to be tougher” are reactions that shame or undermine victims. Managers who bully their employees. Cultures that encourage an “old boys club” that excludes women or minority employees. Vulgar language that is laughed off, and the people who complain are pushed out or feel like they can’t speak up without risking their job. If you haven’t experienced it yourself, you’ll see it in media stories – like the current coverage about Gregg Walace of Masterchef fame.
There are always two camps in response to stories like the ones his alleged victims are telling. The people who are – rightly – appalled, who agree that it’s unacceptable, and that people need to be protected from this kind of incident, and that those accused are held to account.
Then there are others who defend it – who say this is just ‘banter’ – that the victims are overreacting, lying, or ‘trying to ruin someone’s career’. Worse, there are those who will say that this is “just part of working in the industry” – or that others have experienced worse (like the countless victims in the growing and ongoing case against rapper Sean Combs (aka P Diddy), and even then that it’s ‘normal’ for these powerful men to behave this way, and that people need to keep quiet if they want to keep working in the entertainment industry (or any industry where people abuse their power over others.)
We don’t know what makes some people abuse their positions of power. We don’t know whether it’s something innate in them that has found opportunities, or if it’s something they themselves have witnessed and merely followed the patterns they’ve been witness to.
What we do know is that it isn’t ok – and that it isn’t something that happens in isolation. That it is never because just one person acts alone; that it is collusion, permissive silence if not active participation, from a great many others that lets this become an ingrained culture of harm.
What we also know is that it can take just one ‘bad apple’ to negatively impact the culture of an organisation or community – that just one person in power who is enabled and allowed to get away with harmful behaviours, inappropriate actions, even ‘just’ discriminatory or abusive communication in their words and acts towards those around them. And that it takes cohesive, consistent commitment from every leader and manager to change this – and to embed instead a culture of well-being, psychological safety and support within any organisation. A culture that keeps every member of that community or workforce safe and happy.
Is your organisation on the right side of this conversation?
As the world marks Human Rights Day, and the 2024 theme of ‘Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now’, it’s vital that all employers – and anyone in positions of Leadership – focus on the rights of their people. That their people are their number one priority – and that your organisation is a safe place for them to work. One which will protect them, will prioritise their needs, will support them through difficulties they face, and will be somewhere their careers can evolve, develop and grow.
We all have the right to secure employment, and to be safe at our place of work. Not only safe physically, but emotionally – psychologically – too. That right to safety means that employers must identify any unconscious bias in their teams, root out the conscious bias or discrimination, and actively embrace and encourage diversity and inclusion, in every aspect of your work.
You may not be able to see all of the issues in your organisation – and even if you can, you may not be able to see a way to change things for the better.
But we can.
We have over three decades of experience in creating impactful Leadership Development Programmes – learning interventions that help your people to perform at their best. To get the most from the teams they lead, in a pro-active, productive way, and in an organisation that embraces the diversity within their workforce.
Workplace culture is the number one reason that most people leave a role – or they name a single individual (usually a leader) who they simply cannot continue to work with, and feel that their employer will support or protect that individual over the needs of the people they may be harming.
Our programmes – designed by expert psychologists, and bespoke to the specific and unique challenges that your organisation are facing – aren’t a box-ticking process. They aren’t simply a way for you to go through the motions and carry on as ‘normal’. ASK programmes bring you significant, lasting change across your entire workforce, embedding new learning and behaviours from your Leaders and Managers into the teams they lead.
Whether it’s Executive Coaching, for your most senior leaders, or a series of workshops for your future leaders, we have the right solutions to help you to overcome those challenges, to shape your ideal future, and to see all of your people turn their aspirations into reality through learning.
If you know what interventions your people need, speak to our team today – and if you aren’t sure where to start (but know that something needs to change) we can help you to identify where your Learning and Development investments will have the greatest impact…just ASK!
