4.7 Organisational culture: stereotypes, attitudes and behaviours Stereotypes, attitudes and behaviours of managers Employers reported that a key obstacle to implementing successful policies was ingrained stereotypes, attitudes and behaviours in the workplace, particularly among line managers. As a result, organisations and employees alike may be dependent upon a where the success of policies is influenced by individual ‘management lottery’ attitudes and behaviours. Lack of awareness managers’ assumptions, beliefs, and knowledge of obligations and skills to implement policies can also contribute to gaps between laws and policies and actual practice. Some managers do it well, some don’t [Success is] dependent on your own relationship with your manager, and their own personal views on flexible arrangements. Conscious and/or unconscious bias among managers about pregnancy, parental leave, and flexible work can lead to discriminatory behaviour. Managers may lower an workload, for example, due to the false employee’s assumption that a pregnant woman cannot handle extra stress or perform as well as others. Nothing gets done in the last 6 months [of pregnancy]. Unconsciously, managers start writing off people because they won’t be there [during parental leave]. Employers told the National Review that managers may need training on their obligations with regard to pregnancy, parental leave and return to work, as well as the policies. organisation’s Many organisations still face a strong culture of and are ‘presenteeism’ reluctant to accept that flexible workers can be productive. Managers to provide flexible working arrangements for [don’t want] employees returning to work and try...to find ways around it so the employee has to return fulltime. [We have] flexible working support from senior arrangements…and management. But the middle managers are still difficult. We had one this week say, no way the caseworker can be part-time.’ We ’there’s are really working on getting middle management to think outside the box. They are just so reactive. about getting them to think through It’s the options and showing them how it can be done. Organisational culture
4.7 Organisational culture: stereotypes, attitudes and behaviours Stereotypes, attitudes and behaviours of managers Employers reported that a key obstacle to implementing successful policies was ingrained stereotypes, attitudes and behaviours in the workplace, particularly among line managers. As a result, organisations and employees alike may be dependent upon a ‘management lottery’ where the success of policies is influenced by individual managers’ assumptions, beliefs, attitudes and behaviours. Lack of awareness and knowledge of obligations and skills to implement policies can also contribute to gaps between laws and policies and actual practice. Some managers do it well, some don’t [Success is] dependent on your own relationship with your manager, and their own personal views on flexible arrangements. Conscious and/or unconscious bias among managers about pregnancy, parental leave, and flexible work can lead to discriminatory behaviour. Managers may lower an employee’s workload, for example, due to the false assumption that a pregnant woman cannot handle extra stress or perform as well as others. Nothing gets done in the last 6 months [of pregnancy]. Unconsciously, managers start writing off people because they won’t be there [during parental leave]. Employers told the National Review that managers may need training on their obligations with regard to pregnancy, parental leave and return to work, as well as the organisation’s policies. Many organisations still face a strong culture of ‘presenteeism’ and are reluctant to accept that flexible workers can be productive. Managers [don’t want] to provide flexible working arrangements for employees returning to work and try...to find ways around it so the employee has to return fulltime. [We have] flexible working arrangements…and support from senior management. But the middle managers are still difficult. We had one this week say, ’there’s no way the caseworker can be part-time.’ We are really working on getting middle management to think outside the box. They are just so reactive. It’s about getting them to think through the options and showing them how it can be done. Organisational culture
SWP_Report_2014.docx