In business, it’s quite important that we act ethically, and make sure that we do right by people. This runs contrary to the idea that all businesses are out to get their customers, or find some way to defraud them. That certainly happens of course, but businesses, small businesses especially, are often concerned with being as transparent and as justified in their existence as they can. And hey, if not, it’s a great thing to aspire to.
But none of this can be true if you treat your people poorly. Of course, treating your people poorly can sometimes be an act of omission instead of a direct toxic act. Failing to protect your people in the many ways they need protecting, for instance, could be considered one of the first considerations that ring true here.
But how can we make sure we adhere to this most important of standards? After all, while this is obviously a self-rewarding approach, at the very end of things, our staff talk, and define our firm’s reputation.
So, let’s make sure we do right by them at the very first moment:
Securing Your Office, Even In Use
It’s quite important to ensure that even if someone wants to, they cannot get access to your building unless approved or going through the right channels. With an emergency locksmith, you can find it easier to get into your business if you’re locked out, but you can also make sure that electronic keycards and locking systems are installed, and that staff are given the proper access to attend to certain departments without worry. Securing your office, then, helps everyone feel safe within its walls.
Data Protection
Data protection is becoming more and more of a prominent concern, and quite reasonably considering our move to life online and cloud computing. Protecting our staff data is essential, even if that means being careful as to how we show their identities on our ‘meet the team’ page, or ensuring that their work emails and personal information are kept in encrypted folders that cannot be accessed unless with the property authority. Data protection is also a consideration we must grant our customers, but on the whole, this effort must sustain your internal information as a priority.
The Workplace Environment
The workplace environments that you place your staff in can be curated by you, and it’s important to remember that a good portion of this is under your control. For instance, setting up competent HR systems to prevent workplace bullying or to take sexual harassment claims seriously can help you ensure a no-tolerance policy for toxic behavior is applied.
But more than that, it can also be that curating important team building exercises, allowing the staff to communicate with one another through apps like Slack, and efforts localized to your specific firm and industry, can make a big difference in the long run. In this respect, you cultivate their environment and protect them in kind.
With this advice, we hope businesses can protect their people as appropriate.
