Bumsniff Report

Evaluate the concept of dignity at work as it relates to workers in the public and private sectors. You may wish to consider whether a difference exists regarding issues of dignity at work, and whether different sectorial influences affect issues of dignity in work.

Dignity at work is the ideological concept in which an individual has the basic right to be treat with respect and valued as a human being within the workplace (Hodgson, 2001). The most basic and underlying idea of this concept is to encourage employers and organisations of all industries to create cultures in which respect for employees and staff is regarded as an essential part of the conduct of all those who work within the organisation.

Furthermore dignity at work promotes the idea that employees deserve to be treat with respect and dignity, earn a living wage and equal opportunities without fear of ridicule or reprisals. The principle of dignity at work ensures that bullying, harassment or other diminishing behaviour which challenges an individual’s value of self-worth and infringes upon ones dignity will not be accepted nor tolerated. Freeman & Rogers’s 1999 state that defending ones dignity means resisting infringements on dignity and insisting on being treat with respect. Working with dignity therefore encompasses both resisting infringements on human rights, whilst performing actions that promote self-values, self-respect and the respect from others. (put summat in here)

Since 1979 this very concept of dignity at work however has been under threat. The lines of dignity in work for both public and private sector workers have become slightly obscure. Privatisation has made way for an array of private management techniques being implemented into public sector industries. This change has not only had a dramatic effect on many individual’s dignity in work within the public sector, but has seen many individuals dignity at work infringed upon who refuse to lower their...