Dignity At Work

My colleague, Tasha Eurich, Ph.D., recently tweeted:

“Cultivating a culture of dignity is a central responsibility for leaders. As companies being to reimagine the future of work, leaders need to re-design workplace to be a more positive force for growth, agency and physical and mental health.”

My response is, thank you. Dignity is not a word we use much these days, yet as we consider what’s next in the future of work, dignity must be a central concept. Dignity embraces two aspects: respect for the individual and respect for the work they do. 

In 1891, Pope Leo XIII put forth the notion of workers’ rights and the duties of employers in his papal encyclical, Rerum Novarum (Of revolutionary change). It was a recognition by the Church of the dignity of workers to work in safety and receive fair compensation. Dignity is a human right but too often is not considered strong enough in the workplace. 

What Dr. Eurich does is define dignity as a responsibility of leadership. She quantifies dignity in four ways. Let’s take them one at a time.

Growth. People come to work to apply their talents and their skills. They seek an opportunity to grow and develop as contributors.

Agency. Employees want a degree of autonomy and the ability to make their own choices in their work. They also want the ability to determine their career path. 

Physical health. Our pandemic has cast a pall over the workplace. We cannot work where we don’t feel safe from infection. For that reason, many employers responsible for ensuring safe working conditions are asking (and in some cases requiring) employees to wear masks and be vaccinated if they must be physically present in the workplace. 

Mental health. There are two aspects to mental health. The first is an awareness that mental health is on par with physical health. When conditions such as anxiety or depression become clinical issues, they should be treated without stigmatizing the individual. Second mental health includes psychological safety, the assurance that employees can voice their ideas and not be punished if they disagree with others.

Dignity creates opportunity

Significantly, the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion also rest upon the notion of dignity. Diversity means bringing people different from ourselves into the workplace. Equity demands equal opportunity as well as equal pay. And inclusion insists upon listening to, learning from, and promoting those individuals. None of this can happen without respect for who people are and what they can do. That’s dignity in the workplace.

As employers create hybrid workplaces, keeping the notion of dignity front and center creates a workplace where people want to be. It makes a value system where people feel they can contribute and want to contribute significantly. Why? Because they think they belong. Their workplace becomes our workplace. When it occurs, organizations have a greater chance of fulfilling their mission because they are more engaged, productive, and collaborative.