Swipe Consulting

The Importance of Treating Employees With Respect

by Aaron Marquis

 

Motivation

Treating your employees with respect is vital to maintaining motivation. For example, if you do not respect the time of your employees, be it from long, unnecessary meetings or poor project planning, your employees will be less motivated to put forth the extra effort needed for productivity. Additionally, if you do not respect the work of your employees or the energy they used to complete a task, they will be less motivated to complete tasks with the same quality next time.

Loyalty

Employees who feel as if the company does not respect their work or them personally may lose their loyalty toward the company. Loyalty is critical to employee  longevity and productivity within a company. Without longevity, companies waste valuable resources recruiting, training and acclimating new employees to the processes of the business. Employees without loyalty toward the company may go to work for companies that directly compete with their former company, further adding to intellectual loss.

Company Culture

A lack of respect for employees creates a company culture in which respect is not held in high regard. Management and decision-makers may experience this lack of respect when trying to implement strategy within the company. For example, if a manager wants to focus on a new product or  marketing campaign he thinks will move the company forward, employees may not respect his judgment because they do not respect him. Treating employees with respect is a circular process that affects everyone in the company.

Legal Repercussions

Employees with certain religious, lifestyle or cultural differences that do not receive respect from their managers or peers may pursue legal action in court. The workplace is typically a diverse environment filled with people of different backgrounds; everyone working in the office deserves respect. For example, if you disrespect an employee's religious beliefs by ignoring holiday requests, that employee could sue your company for discrimination. If disrespect is a widespread practice in your company, employees could opt for an even more expensive and costly class-action lawsuit.