At
work, everyone needs to show respect and everyone
needs to be respected.
But
what do you do if problems come along? Here
are two stories that may help you think about
the issues.
Story
1 – late again…
Penny
gets a job in a shop. She finds she doesn’t
really like it. Because of this she’s
often late and she doesn’t work very hard.
She makes a lot of mistakes
One
day she gets in late and then breaks something
by accident. Her boss shouts at her and calls
her a stupid idiot.
Penny
says this is out of order. She says her boss
needs to show her more respect.
Who
do you agree with?
Go
to Story 2 – is this funny?
Find
out how to deal with problems.
Story
2 – is this funny?
Dean
gets a job in an office. It’s a friendly
place and after a couple of weeks he feels OK
about telling a colleague that he’s gay.
Another
colleague overhears and makes a joke. Dean says
he doesn’t find it funny. But the jokes
continue. Soon he’s getting laughed at
every day
Dean
complains to the boss. He says this is abusive
and makes it impossible for him to feel OK about
being in the office. The boss says ignore it
– it’s just a bit of fun.
Who
do you agree with?
Sorting
out problems
Cool
down. If someone’s upset you, it
may not be best to act straight away. Wait until
you’re calm enough to think clearly about
the best thing to do.
Speak
to the people you trust. Get their opinions
about what you should do.
Ask
yourself questions. Who’s caused
the problem: you, the other person, or both
of you? Is it a minor problem you can forget
about, or a major one that needs sorting urgently?
Think
practical. What can you do to sort things?
Who should you approach for help?
Know
your rights. If you’re not being
treated fairly at work, find out the employer’s
policy on dealing with this and insist that
the policy is followed. Find someone from outside
work to advise and support you if needed.
Does
this sound like good advice? We’re interested
in hearing from you. You can contact one of
our advisors at any time.
Respect