Inequality in Treatment
Inequality in treatment could be in the form of biased promotions, unequal pay or unfair use of the rules of discipline. During the course of the merger, staff could find themselves feeling side-lined if new managers favour new recruits or ignore established practices. According to Webber (2023), this erodes employee trust, harms morale and could result in formal grievances or legal action. Prevention of this behaviour can be achieved by enforcing policies regarding equality, diversity, and inclusion. Training should be given to managers on fair decision making, consistent policy application, and unconscious bias. Audits and reviews of pay, promotion and disciplinary actions are also important in identifying inequalities as soon as possible, and make sure all employees have a fair, and supportive workplace culture.
Bullying and Harassment
Bullying and harassment consist of repeated, unwanted behaviour that demeans, humiliates, or intimidates an employee. In a post-merger environment, with new leaders and new staff, inappropriate conduct may arise from intentional or unintentional situations where boundaries are not clear and cultural differences. Ayling (2024) argues that this kind of behaviour is detrimental to employee wellbeing, causes increased stress and absenteeism, and can result in increased turnover and put the organisation at risk of legal claims or reputational damage. In order to avoid this, the organisation must have a solid anti-bullying and harassment policy in place, available to all staff. Similarly, training for managers and employees on acceptable conduct and a safe reporting processes should be established.
Poor Management Poor management can include poor communication, inconsistent decision making, a lack of feedback, and the feeling of favouritism. In a newly merged public sector organisation, where leadership teams settle in, there may be some frustration and distrust if there are inconsistencies in policies application or workloads management. Poor management degrades morale, lowers productivity,……
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