Building a foundation of respect - Part 31 | BuildForce Canada

Building a foundation of respect - Part 31

Welcome to the BuildForce blog on Respectful Workplaces! Here we explore issues and provide advice, research, tools, and checklists – everything our industry needs to create respectful and inclusive workplaces where everyone can succeed. Who will benefit? Leaders, managers, HR staff, on-site workers and anyone who wants to understand how to create and support a Respectful and Inclusive Workplace.

Question of the month

(Each month our feature question explores the content and use of the BuildForce Canada Respectful Workplace Policy Framework and Implementation Guide. This tool is a free template designed to assist organizations in creating and implementing policies that support a respectful and inclusive workplace. This tool is one of three in the BuildForce Canada Respectful and Inclusive Workplace Toolkit.)

Does your organization know which initiatives are most effective in creating respect and inclusion specific to your organization?

Did you know? Organizations have obstacles to creating respect and inclusion that are specific to their organization. We can help. The BuildForce Respectful Workplace Policy Framework Implementation Guide helps to identify which programs result in respect and inclusion at your organization. Download the Guide at buildforce.ca/respect.Research shows that measuring the success of an organization’s respectful and inclusive workplace implementation is critical for achieving desired goals. It’s not enough to set up programs such as training, networking, and mentoring. Organizations must know what initiatives are most effective in creating respect and inclusion at their organization. They will only know this through measuring both quantitative and qualitative factors.

The BuildForce Respectful Workplace Policy Framework Implementation Guide helps to increase the effectiveness of respectful workplace efforts by including clear guidelines on how to measure progress. There are four possible stages for measuring the implementation of the Respectful Workplace Policy Framework.

1. Information gathering: The initial collection of information and analysis represents the starting point or baseline from which an organization begins its process of improvement. Some of the useful baseline data are workforce demographics such as the age and gender of workers.

2. Risk assessment: This process includes understanding that there could be a risk that disrespectful behaviour might occur. For example, what is the risk that new hires could experience discrimination? Another risk assessment might be how much risk is there that harassment is occurring in the workplace?

3. Needs analysis: This answers the question, what do we need to do in order to reduce these risks? For example, the organization might include communication about respect and inclusion in its worker orientation.

4. Outcome evaluation: On a yearly basis, management in collaboration with its “go-to-people” (see blog # 30) evaluates the outcomes of the actions that it took to build a respectful and inclusive workplace.

For more info:

Join the conversation: Can you identify some respect and inclusion initiatives that have been effective at your organization?

Our Next Installment: Does your organization have a great workplace culture?

Previous Installment: Does your organization assign specific employees to be responsible for the effective implementation of its respectful workplace policy?

Read from the beginning. Click here to start at Part 1.

To meet the challenges of the 21st century, the Canadian construction and maintenance industry must be able to recruit and retain workers with a diversity of backgrounds such as Indigenous people, women, immigrants, and young workers. This means building respectful, safe and inclusive workplaces where all workers can succeed. Some of these challenges are: A quarter of a million skilled workers retiring over the next decade. Increased globalization demands more awareness of different cultures. The changing needs of a changing workforce. Increased demands for corporate social responsibility such as fairness and equity.

The BuildForce Canada Online Respectful and Inclusive Workplace Toolkit includes: The Respectful Workplace Online Self-Assessment Tool: to assist organization leadership in assessing their current situation and identifying where they may need to make changes; The Respectful and Inclusive Workplace Online Training Course: to train workers on how to create and support a respectful and inclusive workplace; and The Respectful Workplace Policy Framework and Implementation Guide: to assist organizations in creating and implementing a policy that supports a respectful and inclusive workplace. --- All the resources you need to create and support a respectful and inclusive workplace!

Status of Women Canada logo
This project has been funded by Status of Women Canada.