Happy Tuesday everyone!
At The Hobbs Consultancy, our mission is to co-create sustainable cultural change within organisations. A vital component of this is providing individuals with the opportunity to speak out when boundaries are crossed and ensuring that their voices are taken seriously. We believe that every person should feel safe and supported when they report inappropriate behavior, creating an environment that encourages transparency and respect.
Why Now?
This is a crucial time to discuss these issues. Recent changes in legislation highlight the need for organisations to reassess their policies and practices.
From 26 October 2024, the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 imposes an obligation on employers to take proactive steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
These developments serve as a reminder that the conversation around workplace culture and safety is more relevant than ever, encouraging us to take proactive steps towards improvement.
The Change We Seek
Our goal is to eradicate sexual harassment entirely. Unfortunately, this issue is often brushed aside, and we recognise that achieving this change requires a significant shift in attitudes across the board. We can draw parallels to the campaign against drink-driving, where a change in hearts and minds was pivotal. It's time that we confront this issue with the same urgency and commitment.
"Firms should take compliance with the new duty seriously and not treat it as a tick-box exercise. Â The message that sexual harassment is entirely unacceptable needs to come from the top, and policies must be seen to apply to everyone, however senior."
(Bellvue Law)
Empowering Action Through Education
To support this mission, we have developed a comprehensive workshop designed for everyone. We believe that a well-trained, empowered workforce—one that enjoys psychological safety, security, and a clear structure to voice their concerns—is essential for creating lasting change. Companies willing to engage in these initiatives are those that demonstrate genuine intentions to improve their workplace culture and ensure the wellbeing of their employees. This workshop is for everyone, and we intend to work further on supporting ethics ambassadors and senior teams to embed these changes.
The Workshop
This workshop focuses on the essential elements of co-creating a speak-up culture within organisations. We begin by exploring the importance of speaking up, including recent legal changes relevant to our industry, the compelling business case for a positive culture, and the connection between organisational culture and tolerated behaviours. Participants will gain insight into the barriers to speaking up, such as negative perceptions of whistleblowing, hierarchical challenges, and psychological safety concerns. We will emphasise the need for leadership support, clear policies, and accountability. We will also address the creation of safe processes for reporting issues, the use of ethics ambassadors, and the importance of fostering open dialogue about ethical concerns. Through illustrative examples and practical tools, attendees will learn how to operationalise trust and encourage constructive discussions around ethics in the workplace.
We'd love to hear about how you're integrating the new legislation into your organisation or how you foster a speak-up culture.
If the above content feels relevant to you, drop us an email to set up a chat about it or see more info here.
See you soon!
Rox x