Measuring Workplace Fairness

by Debra Dupree

Presented by: Blain Donais, LL.B, LL.M

What is workplace fairness? What does conflict cost? And, why do we care?

Author and ACR Conference Presenter Blaine Donais started asking those questions nearly 15 years ago in the course of his labor law practice as he explored due process systems for non-union employees. What he found was a lack of research or literature to match his real life experience in both union and non-union dispute issues. Recognizing that conflict “costs” organizations in visible and invisible ways, he embarked on a course to develop a survey to measure costs and evaluate existing conflict management systems. This resulted in his recent publication Workplaces That Work: A Guide to Conflict Management in Union and Non-Union Work Environments, filled with instruments that provide quantitative solutions to managing workplace conflict (available through www.canadalawbook.ca).

Let’s go back to the initial question of “What is workplace fairness?” Blaine defines workplace fairness as the following: “all participants should be treated with equality of concern and respect in the management of workplace conflict.” Why does this matter to organizations? As repeatedly demonstrated in the examples presented, the lack of concern and respect in the workplace can have devastating effects on employee satisfaction and productivity, ultimately costing organizations plenty. Workplace fairness is considered the key to motivate productivity and loyalty, both of which substantially deter from the bottom line.

So how do we measure it? Blaine’s instrument helps achieve three key factors:

1) A tool to analyze workplaces to define and assess current conflict management systems (CMS) and how to achieve sustainable improvements.
2) A model applicable in ANY workplace and translatable to almost any culture and/or country.
3) How even unionized environments can have effective CMS provided that the union facilitates buy-in and inclusion of its working members.

The Workplace Fairness Checklist (WFC) examines what and how an organization embodies the following options:

1) Interest-based
2) Rights-Based
3) Communications-Based
4) Power-Based

The checklist uses four key quotients to further assess the effectiveness of an existing CMS: Justice, Efficiency, Engagement, and Resources. The checklist is akin to an accountant measuring the financial health of an organization. However, in this case, the health of an organization is assessed using the “Testing Instrument for Fairness Systems” (TIFFS) to diagnose and modify an existing (but perhaps unknown) fairness system. To get at the bottom-line costs, the Fairness Cost analysis tool (FCAT) helps organizations reach decisions on how to improve the company’s bottom line.

Blaine has designed his series of checklists and instruments in a way that actively engages stakeholders in a way that positively impacts trust between employees and organizational leaders. For more information on “Workplace Fairness” and the assessment devices to measure it, contact Blaine Donais at (416) 531-9384 or donais@workplacefairness.ca.