We help clients create safe, respectful, and inclusive workplaces where employees are free from harassment and bullying and are respected in ordinary interactions, and where women and underrepresented individuals are fully included. We work alongside our clients to assess their cultures, identify risks, and develop concrete solutions to create inclusive workplaces, mitigate the possibility of litigation, and preserve reputation and brand.
Our analyses and strategies can be delivered individually or as part of a comprehensive, integrated campaign. We work collaboratively with all relevant departments, including legal, human resources, compliance, diversity and inclusion, and communications.
Codes of Conduct & Policies
We review employers’ codes of conduct and policies regarding harassment prevention, personal conflicts of interest, respectful workplaces, and diversity and inclusion. We recommend revisions or draft new policies, as appropriate.
Procedures for Reporting, Investigations & Accountability
We review employers’ procedures for reporting harassment or disrespectful behavior and recommend enhancements as necessary. We review existing investigation procedures, conduct investigation file audits, and recommend changes to the investigative process and investigator training. We review outcomes of investigations and provide suggestions implementing proportionate and consistent corrective actions, including a matrix for such actions and making them more transparent.
Training
We review employers’ training, including on harassment prevention, nondiscrimination, and diversity and inclusion. We make recommendations for enhancing existing training and/or for new training on respectful workplaces, bystander intervention, and implicit bias. We consult on or deliver a range of trainings.
Diversity & Inclusion
We conduct sophisticated data analyses regarding workplace demographics, applicant pools, and pay equity; develop talent recruitment and retention strategies; support and advise on the development of diversity and inclusion councils and employee resource groups; and mitigate legal risks in the development and implementation of diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Cultural Assessments and Strategic Planning
We provide cultural assessments using established evidence-based practices. Our assessments collect qualitative data through group and individual interviews with randomly selected employees, conversations with employees who have asked to be interviewed, and a portal where workers send anonymous narratives. We also use a proprietary quantitative tool to survey the entire workforce; capture information about employee knowledge, actions, and beliefs; and establish benchmarks for tracking progress. Based on the collected data, we develop a customized strategic plan with concrete steps to create a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace.
Communication Plans
We help develop and implement communication plans to educate employees on management’s commitment to a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace, including what actions management intends to take to advance that goal. We help develop presentations to C-suite executives and boards of directors as well as communication plans for the media and public.
Global Capabilities
We have the capacity to provide workplace assessments and strategic planning throughout Asia and Europe. We help clients meet regulators’ expectations under the United Kingdom’s Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR) and other laws and regulations that touch on issues related to workplace culture.