Retention

Building a happy workplace family

Organizational conflict spells trouble, but it can be avoided

By Barbara Bowes

I don't imagine many readers sit down and think much about the parallels between the workplace and family. But in fact, workplace dynamics are very much like those found in families.

We see healthy relationships, where each member can speak up freely, seek and give attention and expect to be treated with respect. That's not to say there are never disagreements. Certainly members of healthy families might get angry and act out, but the issues are usually resolved effectively.

On the other hand, dysfunctional families often experience issues of control, emotional chaos and a range of abusive behaviour. As one can expect, the long-term effects of this kind of turmoil have great social costs and create a substantial list of survivor behaviours.

Bullies toxic

If they're in your workplace, they're hurting other employees, and the company's bottom line.

By Barbara Bowes

SPRING has finally arrived and gardeners are out in full force. Growth and a sense of "newness" are taking over.

Unfortunately though, this sense of excitement about cultivating a healthy surrounding doesn't always extend to the workplace. In fact, statistics are beginning to show that some workplaces are becoming quite toxic and that mental-health issues are becoming a significantly increasing problem.

For an optimist such as myself, this is discouraging news. But judging from the e-mails I receive, it does indeed seem to be a problem. So what is going on? What can we do about it?

According to a leading human resource journal, the most insidious and destructive problem creating unhealthy workplaces today is the issue of bullying. In fact, studies from the United States and the United Kingdom estimate that one in five workers are regularly abused through workplace bullying.

A Competitive Employee Market Compels Companies to Manage High Turnover

There are several trends occurring within the employment scene that suggest companies need to pay better attention to turnover and retention issues. One trend is the growth of the economy. As a result, over the 1999 calendar year, Canada has continued to strongly increase its full employment statistics such that part time employment has fallen 3.1% since December 1998 (Stats Canada, Dec. 3/99). Indeed employment in the professional sectors has increased for the second consecutive month. This suggests that Legacy Bowes Group can continue to encounter challenges regarding the retention of current employees and stiff competition for new recruits.

A second trend that will impact employee recruitment and retention is that employees are presenting themselves with a dramatic increase formal educational levels. This means that satisfying a more talented and competitive workforce will become more complex and demanding.

A third trend indicates that while family units are getting smaller and more diverse, there is increased stress caused by the conflict of workplace and home issues. For instance, Statistics Canada in its recent report Balancing Work and Family, (1999), indicated that the single most significant reason for the increased rates of absenteeism recorded in recent years was the need to handle family responsibilities.