How Organisations Can Integrate DEI & Zero Tolerance Policies To Build An Inclusive Workplace

In today’s competitive job market, attracting and retaining skilled talent requires more than just offering a good compensation package with benefits. Employees seek out workplaces where they feel valued and supported. It’s clear that a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) isn’t just a “nice-to-have“. It’s rather a must-have for any organization that wants to prioritize talent acquisition. From addressing unconscious biases to breaking stereotypes, focusing on DEI initiatives is a prerequisite for any organization to succeed in today’s talent war.

In many ways, the practices and policies constructed around DEI and zero tolerance serve complementary purposes. While the former ensures that all employees are given an equal chance to succeed and that diverse perspectives are valued, the latter provides a framework for addressing any incidents of misconduct, discrimination, or harassment that may occur. To ensure that these policies are effective, it’s important to implement them in a way that considers the diverse experiences and perspectives of all employees. So, how can organizations balance DEI and zero-tolerance policies?

The first step towards creating this balance is to clearly understand and integrate the meaning of these terms.

Diversity is acknowledging and embracing the differences that make people unique, including their race, gender, age, religion, and sexual orientation. Equity is about ensuring a fair and impartial platform for all, and inclusion involves cultivating an atmosphere of mutual respect and appreciation where every person is valued and treated with dignity. 

Taking the DEI concept one step further is the idea of belonging, which means that employees feel accepted, included, and valued as members of a group or workplace. As the paradigm expands, the shift from DEI to DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging) will be one of the key HR trends that are increasingly going to become part of the mainstream.

Zero-tolerance policies, on the other hand, are intentionally created to establish a secure and salubrious working environment by strictly disallowing any type of verbal or physical harassment, nuisance, or misconduct without any tolerance whatsoever. 

These zero-tolerance policies, meant to create a safe work environment, can sometimes contradict an organization’s commitment to DEI. For instance, in situations where an employee makes a comment that could be interpreted as offensive, a zero-tolerance approach may require disciplinary measures. But then, it becomes important for organizations to consider the employee’s context and intentions and to carefully weigh the potential outcomes before taking any action.

Implementing zero-tolerance policies while maintaining DEI can be a delicate balancing act. Here are a few ways organizations can successfully implement zero-tolerance policies and DEI practices:

• Establish mediation or restorative justice options as an alternative to disciplinary action. This approach allows for resolving conflicts in a more constructive and inclusive way and also encourages open communication and understanding, while still holding individuals accountable for their actions.
• Cultivate a culture of accountability where all employees, regardless of their position or identity, are held to the same standards of conduct. This strategy involves setting clear expectations for conduct, enforcing policies consistently, and creating a safe reporting system for employees to speak up about misconduct.
• Create a culture of respect and inclusivity that requires consistent reinforcement of DEI expectations and a strong leadership commitment. To implement it successfully, the leaders must be willing to communicate the organization’s values clearly and hold themselves and others accountable for upholding these values. They must set an example by promoting a safe and inclusive environment for all employees, regardless of their background or identity.
• Organizations must consistently measure progress and adjust strategies, as needed to ensure the success of zero-tolerance and DEI initiatives. Regular evaluations of policies and training programmes, coupled with feedback from employees, can provide valuable insights into areas for improvement and enable organizations to make necessary changes. 
• Conducting regular DEI training and awareness campaigns can be helpful in creating an inclusive workplace. Organizations should develop a comprehensive programme that educates employees on the impact of their words and actions, encourages respect and inclusivity, and emphasizes the importance of diversity and equity. 

Organizations must carefully navigate the intersection of DEI and zero-tolerance policies to build a workplace free from discrimination and harassment. Organizations must integrate belonging into their DEI strategy to create more connectedness among employees and build an experience of feeling accepted in the workplace. 

The roles of HR and management in integrating these concepts are crucial. They must adopt a culture of accountability, invest in training, and establish clear reporting and investigation guidelines to create a safe and inclusive workplace for all, benefiting employees, customers, and shareholders.

Milind Mutalik is Head of Employee Experience at Accolite Digital.

This article was originally published in Inc42.

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