Ignoring inappropriate behaviour at work is really bad for the employees. It makes people not trust each other. This can hurt the company and the brand badly in the end.
Companies must not let people behave badly at work. They need to take care of the problem and teach their employees what to do. Harassment and other bad behaviour are not okay, at work. Companies need to make sure that employees who report such behaviour feel safe. Workplace harassment is an issue that needs to be addressed by companies.
What can one do in the face of inappropriate behaviour?
Here are some actionable steps to consider:
There are behaviours that can be called inappropriate. It is important to understand the impact of such behaviours on the victim, team and on the workplace culture in general to assess its severity. Workplace discrimination is also a form of inappropriate behaviour. Then an appropriate action can be taken.
Consistent rude behaviour by a boss is uncomfortable. It may not warrant a severe reaction especially if such behaviour is primarily ego-driven.
Small ego-boosting gestures such as thanking the erring individual for his or her contribution to a project and offering compliments every now and then highlighting the person’s character have been known to work wonders in such cases. (Source: HBR)
There are behaviours that are not so easy to solve nor should be tolerated. The most common of such behaviours include:
- Harassment: Actions intended to humiliate, threaten or intimidate constitute harassment. Offenders are known to show aggression through written means. They may try to bully others into submission through use of sexual violence or through threats of using the same.
- Showing Bias: This includes any action taken on the basis of an individual’s gender, race, culture and religion among others. Depriving an employee his or her rightful place at a workplace because he/she is different (due to the mentioned factors or other) is inappropriate.
- Malicious Gossip: Any gossip that results in the spread of information damages reputation and creates hostility in the workplace is inappropriate.
Disruptive Behaviour: Actions that can amount to Behaviour include:
- Extreme laziness leading to missed deadlines consistently
- Being uncommunicative and thereby impacting project quality frequently
- Yelling and throwing tantrums or displaying a need to exercise control through such actions, frequently
- Showing blatant disregard, for official responsibilities
Call Out the Inappropriate Behaviour Immediately Where Possible
There is a need for taking actions against people who do something wrong. For instance, if someone talks about us wrongly during the meeting at our place of work, then it is crucial that we let the individual know that their actions were wrong and we need them to respect us from now on.
In case we do not feel comfortable enough to tell the individual whose statement it is, that their statement was offensive in front of others, it is best to tell them in private.
If an individual continues to behave inappropriately to the point that it makes an employee feel bad about himself or her or even feels scared, it becomes a severe problem known as Workplace bullying that cannot be ignored because it is indeed a very serious matter.
Seek Help and Support
Talk things out with a person you trust about how you see the situation and ask for their thoughts on what’s happening.
Talk to people who can offer help and find out what they are able to do for you. These people might be able to speak to the person who acted in the way for you and tell them to stop acting that way. This could end the problem without having to take it.
Consult the Human Resources Department
When your warnings do not work and the bad behavior keeps happening you need to take action with the help of your Human Resources department.
Your Human Resources department should have rules to deal with bad behavior at work. The team should know what to do and have the tools to handle these situations.
Companies should teach their employees about behavior and set clear expectations from the start. Companies should also provide training on psychology as part of employee development and leadership training.
Employees should try to solve problems themselves. They should know how to report behavior to their bosses if they cannot solve it themselves. This way bad behavior can be stopped before it gets out of hand.
Explain How the Situation is Affecting Your Productivity and the Business
If people misbehave in their workplace, this may influence your mental health very much. It is possible that merely describing what is going on in your head may not be enough for management to pay attention to your complaints.
It is necessary to describe the negative impact that this misbehavior makes on you and your work. Describe the issues which arise from this misbehavior, both for you, your group, the project, and the company as well. It is important that you show that if they ignore you, everyone will suffer.
Be Practical
Be realistic. Understand that the person who did something wrong might not get in trouble.
The people in charge may not fire this person even if you can prove what they did was wrong. They might just get a warning.
You should know that you did something good by standing up for yourself and not just putting up with the bad behaviour. This should make the person think before doing something like that again.
If the bad situation keeps happening and you feel like it is not worth it then it can turn into a workplace conflict that is difficult to manage. It is an idea to think about leaving your job if that is allowed by your company.
Do not worry about what people will think if you leave your job. Your health and feeling good are more important than dealing with someone who is being mean. So be smart. Leave if you need to.
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The people who teach these classes are experts and very good at what they do. You can visit us to learn more.
FAQs
What is considered inappropriate behaviour in the workplace?
Bad behaviour at work includes saying things that make another person feel bad, bullying, harassing, threatening, making oneself too noticeable to another individual at the workplace, discriminating against an individual, and intimidation.
How should you respond to inappropriate behaviour at work?
You should stay calm. If you feel that you are safe, then you should let that person know that their behavior is unacceptable. Document everything that occurred and then report it to your supervisor, Human Resources department, or somebody whom you trust.
How do you report inappropriate behaviour in the workplace?
First you should check what your company says you should do. You may be able to tell your supervisor, the Human Resources Department, or another designated person in the organization about it. Let them know exactly what has occurred and the time frame of the situation.
What is the difference between workplace bullying and harassment?
Workplace bullying is when someone keeps doing things that put you down, scare you or make your work life hard. Harassment is when someone does something you do not want them to do because of who you are. It can also be other bad behaviour. Both bullying and harassment can make work a bad place. Should be taken seriously.
How can employers prevent inappropriate behaviour in the workplace?
Companies should make rules about what behaviour is okay and make sure everyone knows them. They should also give training, have fair rules, make it easy to report problems and do something quickly when someone reports a problem. Bosses should also be examples and treat employees nicely. Workplace behaviour is very important to companies.
