What is required?
The law establishes a set of minimum standards concerning aggression, discrimination, sexual harassment, and bullying. These standards are designed to ensure a basic level of safety within organisations. However, mere compliance with the law may not be sufficient to create a truly safe and inclusive work environment. Aspects such as social safety, feeling welcomed and valued, and a sense of belonging are dynamic, subjective, and complex. Achieving and maintaining high levels of social safety and inclusion requires continuous dialogue within the organisation and commitment from everyone involved.
A shared responsibility
But how does an organisation establish a shared standard? How does a team determine what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable behaviour? How can you ensure that people adhere to this standard and hold each other accountable when they fall short? And how do you address the grey areas and less clear forms of unsafe behaviour—those situations that might not clearly fall inside or outside the norm or are difficult to recognise?
Social safety is a collective responsibility, not just a task for leaders. Employees should be encouraged to take personal responsibility for their own behaviour and to support one another in maintaining a safe work environment.
