An alarming 44% of employees have experienced workplace harassment, and yet, some employers continue to leave incidents unaddressed, hurting not only the employee(s) involved and their trust, but also permanently damaging their organization’s reputation. By following an incident management process and implementing a proper solution, employers can reduce financial burdens, boost retention rates, and protect current and future relationships with stakeholders.
The Vital Role of Reputation in Organizational Success
With studies showing that 98% of people read online reviews at least occasionally, it’s easy to understand the importance of preserving an organization’s reputation. A great reputation can do wonders for attracting top talent and business, while a bad reputation quickly sets an organization up for failure, either in the short term, long term, or both. Referred to as an organization’s number one asset by Business.com, reputation influences buyers’ actions and is a huge factor in organizational success.
Crucial Need for Incident Management
No incident, big or small, should be overlooked; if employers aren’t managing incidents and following an incident resolution process, it could completely turn an organization’s reputation upside down. Serving as a pristine example of the need for incident monitoring and taking proactive steps towards a resolution, a leader in fast-casual dining, McDonald’s, failed to investigate complaints from several locations in Nevada, Arizona, and California who came forward about being sexually harassed, mistreated and placed in unsafe conditions by their coworkers and managers since 2017. As a violation of Title VII, the chain then paid nearly $2,000,000 to settle a lawsuit with the EEOC – but their reputation was already muddled, as local and national publications posted about the matter. Therefore, it’s crucial for organizations to establish an incident management procedure and stay true to it, as even industry giants will experience reputational damage if steps are not taken to resolve the incident(s) their employees report.
Elevating Trust: How Incident Management Safeguards and Strengthens Organizational Reputation
On the contrary, when employers treat all employees with the same respect and ensure incidents are thoroughly investigated and resolved without bias, organizations keep their reputation intact, increasing employee trust and preventing future incidents. Helping to improve employee satisfaction and morale, effective incident management also safeguards and strengthens organizational reputation. Through genuine efforts to care for employees, current and prospective business partners recognize an organization’s commitment to their team, in turn making an organization more desirable to work alongside. Instead of jeopardizing a positive reputation, employers who diligently follow consistent incident management steps when misconduct is present leave a positive and lasting impression on their team and the public. This approach demonstrates that the organization handles challenges professionally and head-on, rather than neglecting them.
At Work Shield, we understand the prevalence of workplace harassment, misconduct, and discrimination as well as the importance of efficiently and effectively investigating and resolving incidents to mitigate reputational risk. With our incident management technology, we pride ourselves in granting employers the necessary tools to protect their employees from harm’s way, strengthen workplace culture, and protect their organization’s reputation, while also providing employees with a safe space to come forward about the misconduct they face. By implementing a strong incident management solution such as Work Shield, employers can rest assured that incidents will be resolved without bias, employees will be properly taken care of, and their reputations will be protected.
