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Friday, March 29, 2024

Dignified employment

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WE all know that people need work to achieve livelihood security and give their lives purpose.

However, there are not enough jobs available, and in recent years the gap between ambition and reality in the labor market has become even wider.

Young people are most affected by unemployment; for them, finding work is particularly difficult. If they do find a job, they must often endure unfavorable working conditions.

That is the reason why my focus today is not only on employment but on dignified employment. Allow me to define dignity as a responsibility of leadership, with emphasis on integrity, ethics, respect and honesty. Is that a tall order?

Let’s quantify dignity in four ways and look at the benefits we derive from “dignity at work”:

Growth. People come to work to apply their talents and their skills. They seek an opportunity to grow and develop as contributors.

Autonomy. Employees today want a degree of autonomy and the ability to make their own choices in their work. They also want the ability to determine their career path.

Physical health. The pandemic has cast a shadow over the workplace. We cannot work where we don’t feel safe from infection. For that reason, employers are responsible for ensuring safe working conditions and are therefore asking (and in some cases requiring) employees to be vaccinated if they must be physically present in the workplace.

Mental health. There are two aspects to mental health. The first is an awareness that mental health is on par with physical health. When conditions such as anxiety or depression become clinical issues, they should be treated without stigmatizing the individual. Second mental health includes psychological safety, the assurance that employees can voice their ideas and not be punished if they disagree with others.

Dignity creates opportunity

Significantly, the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion also rest upon the notion of dignity. Diversity means bringing people different from ourselves into the workplace. Equity demands equal opportunity as well as equal pay. And inclusion insists upon listening to, learning from, and promoting those individuals. None of this can happen without respect for who people are and what they can do. That’s dignity in the workplace.

As employers create hybrid workplaces, keeping the notion of dignity front and center creates a workplace where people want to be. It makes a value system where people feel they can contribute and want to contribute significantly. Why? Because they think they belong. Their workplace becomes our workplace. When it occurs, organizations have a greater chance of fulfilling their mission because they are more engaged, productive, and collaborative.

These are the benefits we derive from creating “dignity at work.”

In conclusion: the feeling of connection is so important. Employees are deserving a human-centric future, with space for trust and vulnerability. Every single one of us has a right to be treated with dignity. In turn, we all have a responsibility to treat everyone else with dignity.

I am excited about these changes.

What about you? Feedback is needed; please contact me at hjschumacher59@gmail.com

Read full article on BusinessMirror

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