Treating your employees well isn’t exactly a requirement. Sure, there are certain standards you have to meet under the law. But these vary and are usually only a minimum level of responsibility to provide a duty of care and avoid discrimination. Even the regulations that are in place aren’t necessarily controlled very well and are only for businesses of a certain size, so many companies have a poor reputation for treating their employees badly. If you can get away with doing the bare minimum, and sometimes not even that, what is the point of making an effort to treat your employees well? Apart from doing it because you’re a good person with morals, here’s how it benefits your business.
You Avoid Legal Trouble
The laws relating to the duty you have to look after your employees might not be particularly strict, especially compared to other countries. You can usually fire someone for any reason, and if your company only has a few employees, you don’t have to follow the same rules as everyone else. But you can still get in legal trouble if you don’t stick to some key laws. If you refuse to pay someone worker’s compensation when they make a claim, they could easily hire a work compensation lawyer to fight their case. As well as being sued, you could face fines or other penalties if you don’t follow the law.
Happier Employees Are More Productive
Keeping up productivity is essential for any business. The more productive your employees are, the more profit you could be making. While some employers think that they can make their employees work harder by cracking the whip, unhappy employees are unlikely to be as productive as possible. In fact, they could result in a high turnover rate at a cost to your company. Happier employees are more productive and more loyal to your business compared to those who don’t enjoy their jobs.
You Can Form Better Customer Relationships
Happier employees will also interact better with your customers and clients. You can provide more valuable customer service if your employees are in a good mood and are more satisfied in their roles. Your customers are likely to notice if your employees aren’t happy, whether it shows in their language, their tone of voice or their body language. It will also be noticeable if they’re in a good mood and find their job fulfilling.
Bring in the Best Talent
If your company has a reputation for treating your employees well, it will be more attractive for top talent. People who have skills and experience that are in demand know that they have a better selection of employers when they’re looking for work. They don’t want to work for someone who’s going to treat them badly or not offer a benefits package that’s worth their time. Treat your employees right, and you will attract the best talent.
You can get away with barely treating your employees like humans. But why would you when treating them well benefits you, and is the right thing to do?