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In a globalized economy, more and more people are working remotely. This can have its perks, but it also comes with challenges. Here are fou

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Ontario Pledges to Become First Province to Protect Workers from Digital Spying by Bosses

Bharti, B. (2022, February 24). Ontario pledges to become first province to protect workers from digital spying by bosses. The Financial Post. https://financialpost.com/fp-work/ontario-pledges-to-become-first-province-to-protect-workers-from-digital-spying-by-bosses

Bianca Bharti writes: "Premier Doug Ford’s government pledged legislation that would force businesses to tell their employees if they monitor them online, putting Ontario in position to become the first province in the country to protect workers’ digital privacy. Labour Minister Monte McNaugton said on Feb. 24 the he will propose amendments to the Employment Standards Act before the end of the month that would give employees a legal right to know if their company monitors their electronic devices, including computers, cellphones and GPS systems. If passed, workplaces with 25 or more employees would be required to have a written policy outlining whether managers monitor employees’ online activity; and if they do, the policy would have to explain how, when, and why the employer collects the information."

"The use of employee monitoring tools is growing, raising privacy concerns, especially among white-collar workers, said Vass Bednar, a political science professor at McMaster University who specializes in privacy and public policy. Some workplaces deploy tools that monitor keystrokes and time spent clicking around on the screen; others go so far as to occasionally turn on computer cameras to keep an eye on an employee and use artificial intelligence to track facial expressions to glean insights about worker mental health, Bednar said."

Additional Information

Levitt, H. (2022, March 1). Howard Levitt: New Ontario law means your employer can still track you — they just have to tell you first. The Financial Post. https://financialpost.com/fp-work/howard-levitt-new-ontario-law-means-your-employer-can-still-track-you-they-just-have-to-tell-you-first

(2022, February 28). Intrusive worker surveillance tech risks “spiralling out of control” without stronger regulation, TUC warns. Trades Union Congress. https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/intrusive-worker-surveillance-tech-risks-spiralling-out-control-without-stronger-regulation

Askenazy, P. (2022). Worker surveillance capital, labour share, and productivity. Oxford Economic Papers 74(1), 85-93. https://doi.org/10.1093/oep/gpab015 UTL Link: https://doi-org.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/10.1093/oep/gpab015

Ajunwa, I. (2020). The “black box” at work. Big Data & Society. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F2053951720938093

Bernhardt, A., Kresge, L., and Suleiman, R. (2021). Data and Algorithms at Work: The Case for Worker Technology Rights. UC Berkeley Labor Center. https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Data-and-Algorithms-at-Work.pdf

Photo Source: (2022). Howard Levitt: New Ontario law means your employer can still track you — they just have to tell you first [Photograph]. The Financial Post. https://financialpost.com/fp-work/howard-levitt-new-ontario-law-means-your-employer-can-still-track-you-they-just-have-to-tell-you-first

#labour policy and legislation #worker surveillance #digital monitoring #employee monitoring #employee privacy

HOW WORKPLACE BULLYING INVITES LEGAL COMPLEXITIES FOR ORGANIZATIONS?

Once in a while, every employee has suffered workplace bullying or harassment, producing an extensive level of demotivation and self-question. Unfortunately, it is not merely a childhood dilemma but in adulthood too. According to some studies, bullying is the reason behind someone’s mental problems, suicidal acts, and emotional stress encompassing the globe.

Technically bullying in the workplace is defined as an abuse of power. It can be humiliating, intimidating, and degrading employee behavior and often creates a sense of helplessness in the target one.

Bullying is different from aggression. Aggression may mean an individual act. Whereas bullying involves repeated attacks against the victim, creating an ongoing pattern of behavior.

Workplace bullying is a dominant matter of concern for organizations and causes a downward slope in the productivity and efficiency of employees. Sounds haunting, right? In this blog, we will further break the terms related to workplace bullying, the laws associated with it, and if you got into trouble, how to get over it. If you want to know how to avoid workplace bullying and its side effects, please read ahead.

EXEMPLIFICATION OF TERM WORKPLACE BULLYING & ITS TYPES :

Defining workplace bullying can be a persistent pattern of behavior that causes physical or emotional stress and humiliation. It can be of companions and occasionally assistants. This leads to non-productive behavior towards the organization.

Here is an example of some workplace bullying are;

Unwanted criticism

Criticize without factual justification

Being managed differently than the rest of your workgroup.

Being cursed at

Being screamed at or being denied

Being the target of practical jokes

These are some actions involved in workplace bullying, and, at certain times, it comes from unethical behavior from the employees and results in targeting individuals. There are some types of workplace bullying, let us witness, so please keep reading along;

FEW TYPES OF WORKPLACE BULLYING

Assertive Bullying: The most common image that appears in the mind when someone mentions bullying is the situation of bosses yelling at their employees, screaming, getting angry at small ignorable things. The side effect of bullying does not threaten the targeted person nor all the co-workers who might get intimidated by the subsequent victim.

Institutional Bullying: It occurs when a workplace allows, acknowledges, and even promotes bullying to practice. This type of bullying might incorporate nonsensical result objects, quarries, and enforced overtime that can not hold up.

Verbal Bullying: This type of bullying could include humiliation, personal jokes, gossip, or other spoken abuse, leading to targeted personal demoralization and insulting situations. Verbal bullying can leave persistent scars that damage the victim for time. Many tormentors practice their verbal messages to injure or insult the target. Therefore, technically physical and verbal bullying often go hand-in-hand.

Prejudicial Bullying: Bullies based on someone’s culture, spirituality, or sexual orientation are ordinarily considered prejudicial bullying. Prejudicial bullying majorly consists of physical, verbal, or cyberbullying. Targeting someone who acts or looks differently or favoring someone and degrading someone is prejudice bullying.

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF WORKPLACE BULLYING?

Workplace bullying creates team turnover, desertion, and the productivity level to go downhill. Employers encounter complex problems and cause the organizations to carry a bag of losses and suffering. Undoubtedly, bullying in the workplace not only brings suffering for employees but also employers too.

Here are the after-effects of bullying for both employers and employees.

BULLYING IN THE WORKPLACE SIDE EFFECTS IN EMPLOYEES;

Stress

Emotional trauma

Anxiety

Sleeping problems

Lack of self-esteem

Suicidal thoughts

BULLYING IN THE WORKPLACE SIDE EFFECTS FOR EMPLOYERS-

Low productivity level

Towering absenteeism

Depressing work environment

Constant searching out for the replacement

Expense over legal actions and investigations

You might be thinking that people at work are selecting the victims or somehow hunting the most vulnerable for bullying. Well, it is not always the case if you have been bullied or abused and doubting own-selves. Why me?

We have listed 04 reasons why people become the target of workplace bullying;

PROFICIENT EMPLOYEES

Majorly the targets are the skilled and talented workers who receive a lot of attention, are knowledgeable, dedicated, and creative. Employees who get an appraisal regarding their hard work and creative minds attract workplace bullies to an extent.

There is also some evidence that depression and other stress-related conditions might attract the attention of bullies. If you are living with any of these conditions, it is vital to take treatment. Talk to your healthcare provider about your symptoms. Depression, anxiety, and stress-related problems should never be left untreated. What’s more, bullying will exacerbate your symptoms.

ADMIRED OR GENUINE PEOPLE

An employee who is caring, friendly, and collaborative is the one who gets undoubtedly targeted. Victims are the most proficient, supportive, and well-liked employees. However, this does not mean that you have to adjust your behavior or nature, but you get insights into being targeted and bullied.

NON-CONFRONTATIONAL OR VULNERABLE

Discouraged, introspective, and submissive employees might bring the attention of bullies toward themselves. Significantly melancholy, stress-related dilemmas and non-confident employees are the ones who get bullied and abused in not only the workplace but also in day-to-day life.

BEING OBSERVED AS PREJUDICIALLY

Bullies are targeted by gender, age, race, and religion. The reason for being bullied can be any disability or disease, or some prejudicial reason against any individual. Technically, workplace bullying targets the people who are deviating from them in some other means.

All along up till this section, we have learned what workplace bullying means and who are the preferred targets. Let us see how to deal with it and what to do if you witness some of it.

Also, we recommend that you don’t ignore it even if you are not the victim. Because these types of exercise are illegal, although if not stopped early can be turned over to you too.

05 TACTICS TO DEAL WITH WORKPLACE BULLYING

When witnessing this type of abuse, it is obvious and natural to feel weak and vulnerable, but there is a solution for every problem. So if you are experiencing any bullying, here are some tactics that can help you learn how to tackle & actions to take to stop it. Some actions to take when you witness bullying are;

01 – REPORT AND TRY TO SPEAK ABOUT IT

As soon as you experience workplace bullying, try to report it on an immediate basis. If you are not comfortable talking to the supervisor or administrator, the Human resource department is the best place to go. It is always best to report about something that traumatizes you instead of suffering it.

02- DOCUMENT AND COLLECT THE EVIDENCE

It is the safest option to prove yourself right, keeping on track of abusive actions. Try to note down the date, the time, the place, and witness that bullying. Remember to keep safe all the evidence related to the bullying, like notes, comments, or emails. These shreds of evidence will help you to prove your case.

03- SEEK HELP FROM YOUR CO-WORKERS

If you feel comfortable, try to seek help from your co-workers. Talking always helps to solve the most puzzling situation. Communicate with professionals, friends, therapists, anyone with whom you are comfortable. This way, you can explore ways to cope up with the situation.

04- LEGAL GUIDANCE

Legal actions may not be possible in case of workplace bullying or abuse. Although, seeking legal guidance can help you to sort this situation to a certain point. Look for the workplace policies and any legal issues related to bullying, ragging, and abusing. This way, you can take some low-level actions against the abuse.

05- CONFRONT THE ATTACKER

The last of the action is confronting the attracter, only if you are comfortable doing so. Seeking out the help of your trusted one and defy the attacker with talk and ask to stop it. Remember the old saying that it is always better to confront your situation rather than hiding or avoiding it.

HOW CAN EMPLOYERS PREVENT WORKPLACE BULLYING ?

A little slight ignorance of administrators can result in workplace bullies. Organizations have been applying strict workplace policies to avoid such situations. Apart from strict policies some of the measures are necessary to dodge this situation in the company.

AWARENESS-

One of the efficient methods to deal with workplace bullying is spreading awareness and encouraging the employee to report it.

MONITORING-

These days, monitoring employees is the most preferred and reliable way of avoiding workplace bullying and abusing situations. Time tracking, monitoring, and managing tools can be the best aids for ensuring the employees should only focus on work and maintain a healthy work environment.

EmpMonitor is a cloud-based software that can monitor, track and manage major office-related tasks. With this real-time computer monitoring software, you can view activities as they happen and manage them instantly.

ATTENDANCE MANAGEMENT-

No longer need to rely on hard copies to maintain attendance. EmpMonitor tracks accurate work hours and manages the attendance department, removing the cluster work of marking the attendance. The unbiased extract ready-made report makes the management task easy, also minimizing the chance of tampering.

TIME MANAGEMENT-

EmpMonitor assists in managing the time and tracks the employee’s presence and productivity. The generated report can be accessible to the supervisor that can help to optimize your team efficiently.

AUTO SCREENSHOT-

Customizable monitoring parameters and random screenshot capturing can help ensure that the employees stay on track and productive.

RESPONSE –

Quick and immediate response and actions against it can encourage other staff to speak up against it. Once reported, the strict steps are mandatory by transferring, or if required firing the culprit.

HOW WORKPLACE BULLYING LAWS MESS UP WITH ORGANIZATIONS ?

Nearly every country has its laws against workplace bullying in different forms. Queensland, Australia, follows a code of practices especially for workplace bullying- The Prevention Of Workplace Harassment Code of Practice, 2004. Spreading awareness among the employees about the laws and policies against workplace bullying will automatically discourage the culprits from the abuse.

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WHY IS PREVENTING WORKPLACE BULLYING SO CRUCIAL?

Workplace bullying is not different than sexual harassment or rape, it is furthermore illegal, and now is the high time for any organization to stop and take precautionary steps against it.

However, with the mass strength of workers, no department can keep an eye on the employees, and not everyone dares to complain and speak up against it.

With EmpMonitor, you can track and monitor the activities of the employees, measure their productivity, and idle time-wasting on other activities apart from working.

Workplace bullying not only affects the physical and mental health of the employee but also hurts the reputation of the employer. It can dissuade people from entering the company. Additionally, workplace bullying can bring unnecessary legal difficulties which no organization wants to attract.

The moral of the story is that workplace bullying can damage the company’s reputation, affect employee productivity, demotivate and bring mental complications for the individuals. Therefore organizations must put an end to this type of illegal activity.

Originally Published On: EmpMonitor

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INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION: WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS AND 09 WAYS TO IMPROVE IT

The Quarantaniversary is here- it’s almost a year since the COVID-19 pandemic dawned upon us all. And we all witnessed a TREMENDOUS change in our workplaces.

Nevertheless, remote work surprisingly assisted globalization, and companies are hiring more people from abroad than ever. With people ready to telecommute, workplaces are getting more diverse. Sure, this scenario isn’t going to last same forever- but we can already witness a lot of challenges that follow remote work- intercultural communication being one of them.

It is no secret why communication tops the list of priorities that a company needs to inculcate among its employees. Intercultural communication makes it trickier to accomplish, especially with people literally working miles apart.

Many organizations are opening their gates soon, and the cultural differences may intensify if you don’t start working on it now. Do you wonder if your employees are happily interacting despite these differences?

In this blog, we will discuss how to-

1. Assess your staff’s intercultural communication skills;

2. Identify the hindrances;

3. And rectify them for good.

BONUS- READ, HOW TO CREATE AND DEFINE A WORK FROM HOME POLICY FOR YOUR COMPANY

WHY IS INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IMPORTANT?

Differences in culture are inevitable, and it takes a lot for people to bridge the gap. Lack of management in intercultural communication paves the way for misunderstandings and a feeling of being left out.

I’ll explain my point by citing an example. The west urges its people to leave their parents’ home and start a family at a very young age, while the east encourages a culture of living with parents and grandparents. It is one of the very few differences that you will find even when working with employees belonging to different cities in your own country.

A workplace that understands the diversity in traditions, customs, and cultures make its staff feel welcomed. It leads to better team communication, which ultimately develops a healthier and dynamic work environment. To be successful in any sector, organizations must understand and meet the communication patterns of their clients, employees, investors, and other associated people.

HINDRANCES IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

KNOW WHAT YOUR TEAM LACKS

Now that you understand the why, let’s get into the what part.

There are four broad cultural differences that you’ll spot among people around you. Your employees are no exception. Improve your intercultural communication by identifying their weak points. Look for the ones that they lack so that you can rectify them ASAP. After all, acceptance is the first step to betterment!

Here are the key cultural aspects that your staff may lack:

1. EDUCATIONAL

School is the second home of a child, and it plays a vital role in shaping our thoughts, mannerisms, and problem-solving skills. Our background depends on our school, teachers, locations, and the associated national and district laws.

Companies hire people for different positions based on their qualifications. When they work together on a project, they implement varied methods based on their backgrounds to tackle the same set of problems. The results can either be pretty cool or a disastrous mess.

2. RELIGIOUS

An employee’s religious and spiritual affirmations have a significant impact on their priorities and behavior. Religious and spiritual beliefs have the power to impact a person’s perception, analytical abilities, and decision-making skills. As a result, they may even have a difference in ethical behavior.

Everyone has a right to express their religion. There could be a possibility of differences in opinions at the workplace and cold wars. Beware!

3. ETHNIC

Ethnicity is different from race. It is not biological and depends on a person’s learned behaviors due to their culture, nationality, religion, ancestry, heritage, and linguistic backgrounds. Jewish, Tamil, Pashtun, Cambodian, Sindhi, etc., are a few examples of ethnicity.

Naturally, separate ethnicities have a different train of thought and exposure. For instance, people who grow up in a spiritual and sacrificing environment avoid conflicts at all costs. Others may be direct in communication.

4. RACIAL

The race is a biologically defined term. Black, White, Asian are a few examples, for instance. Races have NOTHING to do with the person’s ethics and working skills. But they do have an impact on their accent, day-to-day behavior, and stuff like that.

While racial diversity is no big deal in the modern workplace, racist slurs, biased behavior, and mixed perceptions are still prevalent. Strong intercultural communication intertwines people and prevents this from happening.

BTW, HERE ARE 07 MOST IMPORTANT MANAGEMENT SKILLS & HOW TO DEVELOP THEM

5. GEOGRAPHICAL

The location you grow up in defines the environment you are exposed to- leading to developing varied dressing, speaking, eating, and living habits. Working with people from different geographical upbringing may sound cool and all, but it is actually the primary cause of stereotypes.

People who dwell from the same place tend to bond faster. And while that’s no big of a deal, it may lead to groupism and people feeling alienated.

6. LINGUISTIC

Some countries have an official language for their state, while some don’t. It is plausible due to the languages spoken by the natives. While English is the most acceptable among them all, people also come with different accents.

Long story short, language remains a barrier in any workplace that doesn’t stick to hiring only the locals. Paving the way for a friendly yet strong intercultural communication promotes bonding among all and keeps conflicts at bay.

7. GENERATIONAL

The generation you are born in has a darn tootin’ impact on your ideas on professionalism, ethical behavior, collaboration, creativity, and overall communication. Gen Z, for instance, prioritizes career and stability, while Boomers have a softer spot for their home and family.

Different generations are going to look at stuff with different glasses. A GenXer’s creativity and Baby Boomer’s experience may yield the best results. But it requires constant understanding, respect, and fair inclusion of all.

8. SOCIO-ECONOMIC

A person’s income and socio-economic status (SES) speak a lot about the privileges, opportunities, and resources that they usually get. Contrary to popular belief, SES has a major impact on our behavior and analytical skills.

SES contributes to an employee’s functioning, mental & physical health, stress level, and morals. If left to perish, it leads to judgments, biases, and information silos.

IMPROVING INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION AT WORKPLACE

There are cultures within cultures, and communication is the only path to collaboration. There’s nothing worse than a lack of understanding among people due to their misaligned assumptions and cognitive biases.

The strategies listed below are vital to creating cross-cultural harmony. However, I have witnessed points 4, 5, 7, and 9 making the maximum impact on intercultural communication:

1. AVOID USING SLANG

The non-natives of your place may understand what you say but may not understand the exact idea and context behind it. Slang, phrases, and idioms are cool, but why not keep it simple? Even the natives may get confused if your language gets too complicated.

Everyone has an interpretation of their own. And it is natural to read between the lines when things are not clear. An inaccurate interpretation, in such cases, will end up confusing or may even offend your staff. Play safe ALWAYS.

2. HANDLE HUMOUR WITH CARE

Cracking jokes is no big deal, and you don’t always have to be a grumpy boss. But remember, not everyone understands humour. So if you decide to go for it, make sure everyone understands it clearly. Cultural appropriation is a prerequisite, and you cannot compromise it for a few fake laughs. Go for neutral jokes that seem appreciated and accepted in all cultures. (for instance, a knock-knock joke)

HRs and management need to understand how culturally leaned behavior affects communication. Fixing it reduces intercultural communication conflicts to a humongous extent.

3. ORGANIZE GAMES & ACTIVITIES

Collaboration is the key to better communication. And what’s a better way to collaborate than to organize non-work-related activities. When people talk about stuff other than work, they feel more connected and start opening up despite their differences.

As a matter of fact, people with a different culture are more interested in a place’s native culture. Games and activities are a perfect way to cheer things up when trying to improve intercultural communication.

4. HOLD DISCUSSIONS & DEBATES

Debates might be the last thing you’d want in your organization, but hear me out- when you encourage people to present their conflicting thoughts professionally, they learn how to be opinionated and yet hold back the offense. Debates are healthy, and they bring sportsmanship among the peers.

Group discussions are also an excellent way of teaching the employees how and why it is crucial to keep things clear and simple in a conversation. Intercultural communication can only strengthen when people polish their verbal as well as listening skills.

5. SPEAK SLOWLY

An intercultural workplace would definitely have employees with varied accents and familiarity with the language. When you speak at your usual pace, you become vulnerable to miscommunication, misinterpretation, and misunderstandings.

Modulating the speed will ensure that your words are loud and clear. But make sure you’re not too slow, or else people would drift off while listening, let alone improve the overall communication. And that’s a bummer!

ALSO READ, HOW TO TURN THE VIRTUAL WORKFORCE INTO REALITY?

6. KEEP NON-VERBAL MISINTERPRETATIONS IN MIND

Your body language is always a part of communication. And it doesn’t matter what your words say- your tone and posture add meaning to it. Focus on keeping your facial expressions and body language very neutral. You don’t always have to smile, but maybe stop crossing your arms and looking at your phone.

Sometimes the non-verbal misinterpretations are not very obvious, and you have to dig a bit deeper. For instance, the Japanese find it rude when someone points a chopstick at them while eating.

7. WORK ON COGNITIVE BIASES

Everyone is biased- that’s natural. But it’s very unethical to let the biases interfere with our decision-making processes at work. It doesn’t matter how you feel about stuff- you have to take a rational and practical approach to get an unbiased and appropriate solution.

Your cognitive bias stems from a lot of reasons and has a direct impact on your conversations. If not taken care of, it may make things bitter between people with a difference in opinion.

8. NEVER FRAME CLOSED QUESTIONS

Avoid direct questions that need an answer in yes or no. Some people find it rude to answer such questions without an explanation. They might as well go with a yes instead of saying no to someone’s face. It might sound a little absurd, but such behavior is also an influence of their background.

Open-ended questions that require a plausible explanation are better in such cases. As a bonus, you always get to understand the thinking process of your team. And you can always assign the right tasks to the right person in the future.

9. ENCOURAGE ACTIVE LISTENING

Out of the two fundamental parts of communication, people tend to only work on their speaking skills. Well, we all know that won’t work. After all, who likes sharing their thoughts with someone who won’t let them finish their sentences? To ensure a healthy and happening relationship among all, you have to make sure that people like each other’s company.

Intercultural communication is a responsibility. Encourage people to come up with doubts, suggestions, and queries. It helps break the information silos, and nothing gets missed or misunderstood.

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