The Importance of a Speak-Up Culture

The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Department of Labor (DOL), and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) have announced a joint initiative to raise awareness about retaliation. The agencies will collaborate on worker protection, public education, and engaging with employers, business organizations, labor organizations and civil rights groups in the coming year. The press release notes that “charges alleging retaliation have increased as a percentage of the total number of charges filed with the EEOC every year for the last 20 years.”

Fear of retaliation is a leading reason that employees do not report harassment, safety problems, ethical violations, and other workplace issues. That’s why employers should foster a speak-up culture, where employees feel safe to raise issues and concerns, without fear of retaliation or ridicule. After all, you want your employees to tell you if there is a problem, so you can fix it! Otherwise, you risk having employees taking their concerns (and the organization’s dirty laundry!) to social media, the press, and/or a lawyer.

And, speaking up is more than just whistleblowing. You want your employees to feel safe in making suggestions and exploring new ideas. As a recent Harvard Business Review article noted: “When employees share novel ideas and bring up concerns or problems, organizations innovate and perform better. Employees are often the first to see issues on the frontlines, so their input can really help managerial decision making. Yet, managers do not always promote employees’ ideas. In fact, they can even actively disregard employee concerns and act in ways that discourage employees from speaking up at all.”

Instead, you should thank the employee for speaking up. If you create a climate where employees feel safe raising small day-to-day matters, then employees will be more likely to speak up about more serious issues.

What this means to you:

In our Respectful Workplace and Harassment Prevention Training courses, we stress that managers are responsible for setting the right tone for their teams.  For instance, if a manager sets expectations that the team is open to differing opinions, that all voices are heard, and that rude or dismissive conduct is addressed immediately, employees will begin to trust and will learn that speaking up is not just tolerated but encouraged and valued.

Find out more about our national employment law training programs or book a workshop by calling 800-458-2778 or emailing us.