EVIL HR LADY
DILEMMA OF THE MONTH
Should You Draw the Line With Employees ’ Individuality ?
BY Suzanne Lucas
ILLUSTRATION : JOHN CHASE
Some of my employees have asked about bringing their “ authentic self ” to the workplace . I want to encourage individuality and the good things that come with that , but how can I still make it clear that they need to behave appropriately at work ?
First , it would be helpful to have an understanding of what “ authentic self ” means . Not to be confused with being unfiltered — saying and doing whatever one wants , regardless of the impact it has on others — the term generally refers to one ’ s actions aligning with one ’ s core values .
So having people bring their authentic selves to work isn ’ t a bad thing — but bringing individuality into the workplace doesn ’ t mean behaving in a professional manner is thrown out the door . For example , while we might lounge around in pajama pants and drink out of the milk carton at home , we would not do that in the office . We would drink it from a glass . One can still bring their authentic self into the workplace , but “ authentic self ” doesn ’ t necessarily mean behaving at work the way one does at home .
Employers who discourage their employees from expressing their individuality are at risk of losing their staff , because if the employees are forced to act in a way that doesn ’ t align with their values and makes them feel unhappy or demoralized , that ’ s reason enough to leave .
We shouldn ’ t have to hide who we are at work , and we should strive to show the best parts of ourselves while still being professional and considerate of others . Here are some things that are OK to bring to work and some things we should leave at home .
Bring : A picture of your family , whatever that looks like . Leave at home : Unending stories about your dating drama and ex-partners .
16 comstocksmag . com | May 2021