If people have an issue they can’t resolve, they usually turn to the internet for advice. The phrase ‘Google it’ is so common nowadays that it’s almost the go to place for most of our day to day conundrums. While it’s helpful for quick answers to common questions, many use it to help with much more difficult problems that there isn’t always a quick fix for.
Did you know, if you Google ‘My boss is . . .’ the suggested wording shows just how many issues people face within their work. Many people face problems such as bullying, gas lighting, feeling over controlled; essentially feeling stressed out. While it is expected that people would only turn to the internet if they had problems, it is unfortunate that so many of these issues are common enough for people to seek outside help over.
Encouraging internal support
Modern day workplaces should be able to resolve issues in a professional manner that keeps matters internal, accommodates employee rights, keeps in line with company policy and offers support to those involved whilst offering a line of anonymity to the victims. If your employees need to Google a problem they are facing, then something is not going right!
Outlining the correct support routes is something that needs to be heavily promoted in any work environment from the first day members of staff join. Staff should feel they can report issues safely to someone who is not the person they are referring to, without fear of reprisal. This can be in person or on an anonymous basis. Whether this is someone in HR, another Senior Manager or a registered member of staff trained in mental health support; channels must always be available and open to anyone in the workplace.
Staff may even go to the person in question and explain their concerns in the hope that it can be dealt with between themselves. Everyone’s personality is different and misunderstandings are common. Most importantly, instances such as these can be easily sorted out without further action being required. Encouraging communication at any level can go a long way!
Communicating, acknowledging, resolving
If issues are communicated effectively, then the journey can begin to try and resolve the problem. Depending on what the concern may be, the issue has been acknowledged, communicated and dealt with on an internal basis.
When staff don’t feel supported, they seek external help. This can lead to greater repercussions such as legal consequences, financial penalties or substantial reputational damages. When situations are left to fester, they can get out of control and go onto become severe problems. This is why supporting staff in the first instance is the best course of action.
Give your workplace the tools to combat these issues, open your doors even further and welcome staff to talk through their problems in a manner that accommodates their rights. You’ll be surprised how quickly a more positive working environment develops.
