How to Handle Sensitive Issues in the Workplace
Whether personal or professional, work scandals can have devastating results. Some companies failed to recover from these problems. Even if it only involved a few people, the company’s reputation still got tarnished. The truth is that it’s not the scandal itself that brought the company down. It’s the inability to handle the sensitive issues. If you lead the company, you should know how to navigate the situation.
Never sweep anything under the rug
You might think that it’s okay for scandals to happen as long as you sweep them under the rug. You try your best to contain the controversy to protect the business. While it’s admirable that you think about how to protect the company, your actions can make the situation more terrible. The truth will always come out. It doesn’t matter how you try to keep it. People will know what happened. Whether it’s a corruption issue or a sex scandal involving the big bosses, you have to face it head on. Make sure those who got involved are accountable. Conduct an independent and unbiased investigation.
Be transparent to your employees
You should be honest to your employees about what’s going on. Don’t leave them in the dark. Explain what you know and what you’re doing to solve the problem. Make them feel confident to step forward if they have something important to say. For instance, if someone was accused of harassment, there might be other victims in your team. Let that person step up and give more information. It doesn’t mean you will believe that person right away, but you can ask the group conducting the independent investigation to look into it.
Never show bias
It might be in your best interest to side with the company. If the accused are people in power, you might want to help them clear their names. You have to be impartial. Even if you formed an independent body to investigate, it won’t mean anything since you already made up your mind. Allow things to play out before forking your conclusions. If not, keep your opinion to yourself.
Be willing to leave your job
If people are threatening you because of pursuing investigations or with the way you handle the sensitive issue, be willing to lose your job. You might be in the wrong organization after all. You don’t share the same values with these people if they don’t allow you to seek justice for what happened. Besides, you also don’t want to put yourself in a difficult spot. You might eventually be accused of covering up the story instead of delivering justice.
You’re in a difficult spot, and you have to navigate it carefully. As long as you’re doing the right thing and you’re not hurting anyone, you should not be afraid.
Hopefully, you can resolve the issue and move forward. If some people have to pay the price for their actions, you can’t be sorry for them.
Photo Attribution:
1st and featured image from https://youmustlearnnlp.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Develop-coaching-skills-blog-image-YMLNLP-6-May-20.jpg
2nd image from https://www.mcclone.com/blog/tips-for-addressing-sensitive-employee-issues
