Professionalism in the Workplace: 3 Tips for Creating a Professional and Productive Environment
Working in a comfortable and safe professional environment is the natural desire of any employee and something business owners and managers should provide. Most often, they are legally required to do so. “The fastest path to growth, safety and prosperity is to instill a comprehensive safety culture within your organization,” advises Clicksafety, a company that works “quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively to implement a safety culture,” and has received accolades from top management in a wide variety of fields.
Whether you are supervising a waiter serving coffee, an electrician installing a light-switch, or factory workers assembling a car, there are certain things to be considered.
Dress and Attire
What you wear to work will be dictated by the nature of your job. A jacket and pressed shirt or a black pencil skirt and blouse are the expected attire of most office employees, hard hats and steel-toed boots are a must for construction workers, hairnet or hat and plastic gloves go without saying in a professional kitchen.
“Pants should be close-fitting and comfortable, but not dragging on the ground. Workers should roll up long sleeves before operating machinery, too,” advises Gilbert’s Risk Solutions, a longstanding Pennsylvania-based insurance agency. Gilbert’s points out the potential hazards of wearing “loose, protruding or dangling jewelry when working around moving parts and machinery.”
In an office setting dressing smart with a eye on safety is the way to go. Untied shoes and stuck heels have caused many an accident, so beware of these seemingly innocuous hazards.
If you’re looking for a jacket or blazer to go with the shoes, Chico’s likely offers what you seek in a wide variety of colors and sizes, no matter how petite.. The petite blazer you have been eyeing can give you that round-the-clock chic look even while proofreading an 80-page report on business safety training. And that’s not all – Chico’s can provide you with appropriate jewelry for office work as well.
Make Rules Known
Posting signs around your business site and sending out memos about workplace safety rules and expected behavior are recommended best practices. Doing so is often required by the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and/or a state or local health administration. Being vigilant about occupational safety and providing safety training programs help protect workers from physical harm and illness and even prevent potential fatalities. A safe workplace is often a healthy workplace.
Clicksafety also offers solutions, safety training courses and other resources for business owners, supervisors, factory workers or just about anyone the U.S. workforce. The company has developed over 300 interactive training courses, including over 55 in Spanish, to help organizations promote and foster a strong safety culture.
Enforcement
Whether the issue is unwanted sexually charged emails or not wearing protective goggles, workers need to know that the rules are being enforced — for everyone. Write clear policies, make your complaint mechanism widely known, and conduct routine inspections to make sure your rules are enforced.
In the age of COVID-19, the need for workers to feel safe on the job to be productive has become a headline issue. Training programs about the disease and how to prevent its spread are now a must in the United States and around the world. Companies should go above and beyond these simple programs and be sure to enforce any rules related to the virus. Stories abound about the connected and powerful flouting lockdown rules — make sure your upper management are setting a correct example for your workplace culture.
Mark Williams, director of operations for BizFilings recommends getting “input from your employees in creating work rules: if they are involved in the process, employees are more likely to accept and abide by the work rules.” Small business owners also have to be aware that what can happen in a large corporation can happen in an office with three workers as well. There are a wide variety of free videos available that can help you emphasize safety to your employees.
If want to make sure you are creating a safe, productive, and professional environment you should establish a dress code, make all rules known, and enforce them consistently and fairly.
