Calgary’s Borger Group of Companies has introduced the Respect in the Workplace certification for all its employees, and according to Borger, it is the first Canadian construction company to do so.
“We recognize that in order to attract the best people we need to strive towards having the best working environment,” said Bill Borger Jr., president, who hopes the program will add to the company’s family oriented culture.
“Everyone does the same mandatory program before entering a job site or our office, I did the program before asking the team to do it,” he said.
According to a survey done by Queen’s School of Business at Queen’s University, nearly 60 per cent of Canadians have experienced or seen workplace harassment.
Borger is looking to breakdown stereotypes about aggressive behaviour that are often connected to the construction industry, and create a culture built on a foundation of respect, safety and shared accountability.
Debby Carreau, president of Inspired HR, said prevention is one of the best ways to deal with workplace culture issues such as bullying and harassment.
“What often stands in the way is the confidence to deal with these issues head on, particularly for front line workers and supervisors,” she said.
Carreau said in many businesses the typical response is to turn a blind eye––which never makes things better.
“Preventative programs like Borger’s are a good opportunity to start the conversation about the behaviours that align with your core values and expectations.”
