Many of us view work as a small part of our lives. We tend to look at it as a means to an end. We’ll head into the workplace and work nine to five to be able to afford a good quality of life, where we can keep a roof over our head, food in our stomachs, and indulge in some luxuries along the way. But it’s extremely important that you feel comfortable in your workplace. After all, the standard working hours of nine to five, five days a week, mean that you do spend the majority of your waking hours in the workplace! This actually a huge proportion of your life, so it needs to (at a minimum) be a comfortable space where you can work in peace. Unfortunately, there are many situations that could potentially arise in the workplace that could leave you feeling anxious, uncomfortable or awkward. If you find yourself in a situation where you are feeling this way, it can be easy to try to turn a blind eye to it, or to feel that you can’t exit it. But the good news is that whatever situation you’re in at work, you can remove yourself from it and return to a normal, comfortable working life. Here are just a few situations you might find yourself having to face and how to best tackle it in a professional manner!
Disagreements
Let’s start with a common problem in the workplace that we’re all bound to come across at some point or another – disagreements. We are only human and we all have differing opinions. So it’s not all too surprising that sometimes we will come to bump heads on different issues. This can happen more often when you’re working on high pressure projects where tensions are high. But if you find that you have a disagreement with someone in the workplace, remember that you need to keep your cool and maintain a professional composure at all times. Raising your voice, making personal comments, or engaging in any other behaviour that raises a disagreement to an argument could land you in a lot of trouble. So, remain calm. Take a look over the situation. Try to see the other person’s point of view and try to come to a conclusion that compromises and suits both of you. Remember if things are getting too heated, you can always take a time out where you can remove yourself from the tense space and cool off for a minute or two.
Illegalities
This situation tends to be pretty rare, but if you find that someone is doing something illegal in your workplace, you may feel uncomfortable continuing to work for the company, report to them, or generally spend time around them. So many people, however, tend to ignore illegalities when they see them, as they’re worried about potentially losing their job. The good news is that you don’t have to do this. Instead, it’s actually extremely important that you reach out to someone like Mahanyertl.com who will be able to survey the situation and help combat it without damaging your workplace relationships.
Sexual Harassment
You should be able to go to work without fear of being sexually harassed. But if you do feel that someone is pestering you, making lewd comments, or generally making you feel uncomfortable, you need to contact your company’s HR department. They will be able to intervene and put wrongs to rights. Remember that you aren’t in the wrong when this happens. Make it clear that you aren’t happy with how you’re being treated and the right measures will be taken to ensure that the person’s behaviour stops and you can continue to work in a safe and comfortable space.
Health and Safety Concerns
Every employer has a responsibility to ensure that their employees are safe at all times during their working hours. So, if you notice problems that could result in injury, or you feel that protocol isn’t being followed, it’s extremely important that you bring these up. Report them. Chase them up. Your employer should take steps and measures to ensure they are rectified. If your employer fails to do anything about health and safety concerns, you can always reach out for legal aid.
These are just three situations that you may find yourself in while at work at some point or another. Hopefully, the above advice has helped you to see an easy way out of all of these situations.