Dignity - what and why?
What is the Dignity at Work Partnership?
Unite the union, Britain's largest union, is leading the Dignity at Work partnership, possessing a strong track record of campaigning against bullying over many years. Other launch partners include:
- Connect: the Union for Professionals in Communications
- Legal and General Insurance
- BAe Systems
- the Chemical Industries Association
- Remploy
- Royal Mail
- BT
Baroness Anne Gibson, who introduced a Dignity at Work Bill in Parliament, chairs the steering group. Representatives from the Health and Safety Executive, ACAS, the TUC and the BERR complete the steering group. Leading academic and practitioner experts on bullying and related issues act as advisers to the group.
The Dignity at Work partnership provides advice and guidance for anyone suffering from workplace bullying or harassment. We are also looking to spur on cultural change, to develop a code of conduct where respect for individuals is regarded as integral to the behaviour of employees and managers.
There are thousands more organisations sharing our conviction that things must change. If your organisation is one of them, why not become a partner? That way you will gain the benefits of support for anti-bullying policies in your organisation and the valuable consultancy and training services we are designing.
Why Dignity at Work?
Giving employees dignity at work is likely to increase their positive feelings about their employer and their jobs. This might be expected to lead to greater willingness to accept change, learn new skills, pursue high standards of quality through pride in work, work as a team and so on.
Promoting dignity at work is likely to reduce stress and related health problems and absenteeism among those who are both suffering and close witnesses to bullying.
Time spent on the promotion of dignity at work policies is often better in outcomes than time spent on dealing with individual complaints of bullying and harassment.