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Mary Nnah

The Workplace Leadership Institute has linked prejudice to discrimination and harassment in the workplace, warning that negative attitudes towards people based on group membership can evolve into systemic inequity and harmful conduct if leaders fail to take early action.

The Institute urged organisational leaders to identify and address inequitable behaviours before they become entrenched in workplace culture.The Institute said its approach to inclusive leadership requires organisations to look beyond individual incidents and examine the systems, decisions and behaviours that contribute to unequal treatment.

While bias can operate unconsciously, it noted that prejudice involves negative attitudes and judgements towards people based on their group membership, and such attitudes can influence organisational decisions when left unexamined.According to the Institute, prejudice can affect how leaders interpret the abilities, behaviour or potential of employees and job candidates.

A qualified candidate, for instance, may be judged as a poor cultural fit because of assumptions associated with their background, while an employee’s achievement may be attributed to circumstances other than competence or a colleague’s contribution may be dismissed before it is properly considered.The Institute said isolated decisions can become more significant when similar patterns are repeated across an organisation.

When prejudicial attitudes begin to influence recruitment, compensation, performance assessments, promotion, succession planning, professional development or everyday workplace interactions, they can result in discriminatory practices that affect access to opportunity and fair treatment.

Dr. Jamie Pajoel, workplace leadership expert and facilitator, said the responsibility of leaders extends beyond having policies designed to address discrimination.”Leadership responsibility does not end with having policies in place. Leaders must examine how decisions are made, what outcomes those decisions produce and whether employees experience fairness and dignity throughout the organisation,” Pajoel said.

The Institute said organisations should systematically examine workplace decisions and outcomes for evidence of discriminatory patterns and ensure that significant findings receive appropriate attention from senior leadership and relevant governance structures.

It said leaders should consider whether some groups are consistently experiencing different outcomes, whether promotion and development opportunities are distributed fairly and whether performance assessments are being influenced by assumptions rather than evidence.According to the Institute, treating discrimination only as an isolated incident that requires attention when formally reported can cause organisations to overlook broader patterns. Establishing clear accountability mechanisms, it said, can help leaders identify recurring issues and take appropriate action.

The Institute also identified workplace harassment as a more direct expression of harmful and inequitable behaviour. It said harassment can involve unwanted, demeaning, threatening or hostile conduct that creates an intimidating, offensive or otherwise harmful working environment.Among the forms of harassment requiring attention, the Institute identified sexual harassment, which can include unwanted sexual conduct, comments or implications, as well as situations in which professional opportunities are improperly connected to sexual conduct or compliance.It also identified verbal harassment, including persistent belittling, threatening language and derogatory remarks intended to demean or psychologically harm another person. Such conduct, the Institute said, can undermine trust and create workplace conditions that make effective collaboration more difficult.

Psychological harassment was also highlighted as an area that can be less visible but potentially damaging. According to the Institute, it can include deliberately withholding information, excluding individuals from professional or social interactions, or repeatedly undermining an employee’s confidence and credibility.The Institute said leaders should pay attention not only to individual incidents but also to recurring patterns and their cumulative impact, particularly where individual actions might otherwise be dismissed or explained away.

Disability harassment was also identified as a concern where individuals are targeted because of a physical or mental disability. The Institute said such behaviour can undermine the dignity and participation of employees while potentially revealing wider weaknesses in organisational culture and leadership practices.The Institute said a clear and consistently applied policy against harassment provides an important foundation, but added that policies alone cannot establish an inclusive workplace.I
t said leaders must create an environment in which employees can report misconduct without fear of retaliation and should model the standards of behaviour expected throughout the organisation, regardless of an individual’s position or influence.Reports of misconduct, the Institute said, should be taken seriously, investigated appropriately and handled fairly. Consistency is particularly important when allegations involve senior or influential individuals because employees observe how organisations respond when their stated values are tested.Dr. Pajoel said leadership credibility is demonstrated through an organisation’s response to such situations.”Employees learn what an organisation truly values by watching what happens when those values are tested. Consistent accountability demonstrates that respect, fairness and dignity apply to everyone, regardless of position,” he said.The Institute said prejudice, discrimination and harassment should not necessarily be viewed as completely separate workplace issues because unchecked attitudes and behaviours can develop into increasingly harmful patterns.It said organisational leaders have both preventive and corrective responsibilities, including building fair systems, examining workplace outcomes, establishing clear behavioural standards and responding consistently when those standards are breached.The Institute added that an organisation’s approach to inclusion should be assessed not only through the policies it publishes but also through the everyday experiences of its employees.According to the Institute, creating a workplace characterised by fairness, dignity and respect requires leaders to identify gaps in organisational systems and culture and take appropriate steps to address them.