How can workplaces intervene early and prevent unacceptable behaviours?
There has been a range of external factors that have led to the increased focused and scrutiny on workplace safety, and practices. From Me Too, to Black Lives Matter, and the pervasive issues of bullying and harassment.
Workplaces now have a positive duty to address and prevent psychosocial hazards and risks which may include but are not limited to: excessive job demands; low limited job control or a lack of role clarity; poor organisational change management; inadequate reward and recognition; traumatic events or material; remote or isolated work; poor physical environment; violence and aggression; bullying; harassment including sexual harassment and conflict or poor workplace relationships and interactions.
In Australia, the Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Respect at Work) Act 2022 is now law, which means that all workplaces have a positive duty to eliminate sexual harassment from the workplace. All these changes to workplace safety and equality law are highlighting the need for organisations to be more proactive, and less reactive when considering the safety and wellbeing for their employees.
Currently, much of the workplace practice centers on workplace engaging in response or tertiary prevention. This is where workplace policies, including behaviour and disciplinary procedures sit, where training programs about awareness raining of unacceptable behaviour sit, and event enhanced support mechanisms, dedicated investigations roles and some training programs focusing on what unacceptable behaviour is and where to seek support. All this focuses on supporting targets or victim-survivor of harassment, discrimination, or violence, and holding perpetrators to account. But where organisations need to prioritise and effectively resource, is all forms of prevention from recovery through to primary prevention.
So, how can organisations be more proactive?
Early intervention – identifying risk factors, requires addressing the way that organisations have assessed risk historically. This includes moving beyond medical terminology and a focus on personal injury that focuses on hospitalisation, and instead consider the wellbeing and behavioural risks to staff in the workplace which includes the full spectrum of behaviours from domestic abuse, bullying, discrimination, social exclusion, and intimidation.
During my tenure at UCL, colleagues and I designed a process called environmental investigations. This is a tool used where anonymous reporting was introduced at UCL to combat issues of bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct impacting staff or students in different areas of the university. The process allowed for more detailed uncovering of the behaviours, impact, parties involved and possible support interventions to reduce risk, improve support and culture. And provides a gap for organisations who are limited in options where concerns are being raised anonymously, but little detail is provided.
The process addresses the following:
Provides a tool to address behavioural and wellbeing concerns that are raised anonymously through existing people and culture metrics such as engagement surveys, anonymous reporting mechanisms, or equality and diversity research and feedback exercises that measure employee wellbeing and inclusion.
It is a trauma-informed and legally sound intervention to address and prevent systemic behavioural issues that impact wellbeing, culture, and organisational success.
Enables employees to feel heard and be involved in identifying and designing targeted and tailored solutions to improve culture and wellbeing.
Allows the organisation to engage in early intervention to address psychosocial risks and prevent the escalation of unacceptable behaviours.
As part of my offering, I now have a protocol and training program for environmental assessments to enable workplaces to engage effectively in early intervention. The protocol includes an overview and key principles, discussion of legal obligations and levers, and a risk management framework and matrix, guidance on implementation, case studies and templates. While the training focuses on skill development to lead an assessment, including designing and applying appropriate behavioural interventions informed by primary prevention.
The training and protocol can be purchased via this link, or should you wish to discuss, please book a 30-minute discovery call with me.
