Any business should prioritize supporting fairness in the workplace among employees of all backgrounds, cultures, and belief systems. How fair a workplace is impacts everything from productivity to how employees view their employer. A lack of fairness will likely lead to unhappiness, employee turnover, and less team engagement.
Fairness is about allowing everyone to grow and feel supported in the workplace. Here are some ways to ensure workplace fairness.
Define Job Expectations
A key aspect of fairness and equity is communicating to team members what is expected of them. This includes how they will be evaluated and the rewards or incentives to perform accordingly. This way, every employee knows the common workplace goals, roles, responsibilities, and standards.
Have a Strong HR Team
Your HR department should welcome everyone. Ensure they are ready to listen, supportive and helpful, and can direct team members to current company policies.
Promote diversity in leadership. When hiring and promoting with your HR consultant, ensure fairness in treating diversity among applicants.
Model Correct Behavior
Like your HR team, team members at all levels of management should model correct behaviour and set the tone for how others are expected to behave. Team members learn from their team lead and often base their investment in work on how their lead conducts themselves.
Create Clear Transparent Policies
Policies relating to hiring, promotions, compensation, and other common aspects of employment have been defined through the lens of fairness in the workplace. These policies should be transparent and accessible to all employees.
Provide Regular Feedback
As team members work towards fulfilling their roles, regular feedback, recognition, and guidance are important. Refrain from reserving this for select employees. Provide it equally across the board and ensure you develop your team members by offering similar attention.
Respect Diversity and Inclusion
Talk to any HR consultant, and they will tell you how valuable it is to respect diversity and inclusion of all employees. This is regardless of background, identity, or perspective. Have a public and private environment that welcomes, supports, and respects all.
Examine Your Own Biases
Encourage your company, yourself, and team members to know their biases, stereotypes, and assumptions. Use this information purposefully to avoid discrimination or disrespectful behaviour.
Enforcement and Accountability
For team members who must meet standards or violate your company's equity commitment, ensure you enforce your fairness policy without hesitation. Ensure that all team members are and will be held accountable for their actions.
Ask for Their Opinions
In response to job expectations and feedback, employees should feel like they can contribute opinions, ask questions or have concerns addressed, and have suggestions heard – without fear of reprisal. Please give them routine opportunities to ensure their voice is included in the work conversation.
Review and Update Policies
Review and update your policies to address evolving concerns as you learn more about how your workplace fairness policies perform. Ensure your policy is still relevant.
Equal Opportunity for Advancement
All employees should be offered equal opportunity for learning, career development, and advancement. Decisions should be based on merit and potential rather than presumption.
Flexible Work Arrangements
Support employees with kids, medical needs, disabilities, and other considerations by offering flexible work when/if you can. Ensure fairness across the board with this offer to all employees.
Address Workplace Conflicts
Be quick to respond to workplace conflicts. Whether it's a major transgression, something outright illegal, or microaggressions, address it quickly and fairly based on your developed policies. Have transparent policies on handling complaints, disputes, and grievances, applying them without favouritism or bias.
Encourage Employees to Come Forward
Encourage employees to report any incidents or problems they witness or experience. Have a way for them to submit complaints or concerns.
Launch Pay Equity Audits
Have regular pay equity audits to identify and rectify disparities. You may only know issues once you examine how your team members are paid. These audits are incredibly valuable in demonstrating whether your company meets the same standards as its fairness policy.
Diversity and Inclusion Training
Encourage and promote diversity and inclusion training to ensure your company understands different perspectives. This should be for every level, from top management to entry-level team members in the onboarding process.
Reward and Recognize Contributions
Employees who work hard and go above and beyond want to be recognized and rewarded for their efforts. Have a fair, consistent system in which employees are measured and rewarded, celebrating everyone's success equally.
