The health of the employer/employee relationship

WHEN CONSIDERING what a healthy relationship looks like, there are several characteristics that come to mind. The presence of effective communication, boundaries, trust, honesty, independence, equality, support, healthy conflict, safety, and other positive traits are an indication that you are in a healthy relationship. The absence of these traits are determinant of a failing relationship be it professional, platonic, romantic. Today we explore some characteristics of a healthy relationship and whether these characteristics are relevant in the employer-employee relationship.

Communication: Effective communication is considered one of the key ingredients to a healthy relationship; feeling safe to speak up and question how things are done. The ability to express one’s opinion in a respectful manner, to listen to the perspective of others without judgement and to consider one’s tone, pitch, choice of words and appropriateness of conversation are all elements of effective communication and contributors of a successful relationship.

Is effective communication relevant in the employer- employee relationship?

Of course, the employer- employee relationship is similar to any other relationship. An employer needs to create the environment where the employee feels safe to speak up and challenge how things are done without the fear of repercussion. The employer should have the ability to express his thoughts to the employee without the use of swearwords. He should be mindful of his tone and the appropriateness of the conversation. Conversations that are meant to rebuke should be done privately, while recognition conversations should be done publicly.

Boundaries: Establishing physical, emotional and mental limits that are communicated and respected.

Once your boundaries are established you should feel comfortable participating in activities within the relationship with the assurance that those boundaries will not be crossed.

Boundaries are just as important in the employer- employee relationship.

An employer should respect the employee’s personal time in the same way the employee is expected to respect the employer’s time. Employees should be allowed to enjoy quiet time by themselves or with their family unbothered by emails or telephone calls.

They should be allowed to enjoy their vacation without feeling like they are working remotely. It is important for employers to realize that how flexible they are would determine how flexible employees are.

Trust: The ability to believe that your feelings and thoughts will be considered and motivate actions that are within your best interest. The ability to keep promises. The assurance that nothing

that is shared in strict confidence will be divulged or be used to hold you at ransom.

Trust is also the basis of the employer-employee relationship. It is difficult for employees to develop an emotional commitment to an organization where they have lost trust in their employers. If it is discovered that the employer is withholding from employees what is rightfully theirs it will be impossible to foster a healthy employer- employee relationship.

The employer has more to lose in the long-term from cheating the employee than the employee has to lose.

Honesty: The ability to speak and act truthfully.

Where honesty is inconsistent trust is absent.

Honesty is a corner stone of a rewarding employer- employee relationship. It should be noted that where integrity is negotiable, honesty and loyalty will always be debatable. Dishonesty leads to broken trust and this significantly affects employee engagement, morale and productivity.

Support: To extend empathy and compassion for others even when you disagree and to recognize that you also need the support of others from time to time.

A successful employer- employee relationship is one where the employee feels valued and is treated as an individual. Also, the employer uses tact and emotional intelligence to support the employee during personal or professional challenges.

Employers who enjoy rewarding employer-employee relationships have discovered that the key to getting what they want is to help employees to get what they want. They are willing to compromise, to give and take, to meet employees at least a quarter of the mile.

When employees feel like they are in a partnership with their employers, they automatically start behaving like partners.

Source: www.northeaststate. edu/health/12-characteristics- of-healthy-relationships. html