Text version scenario

My wife and I had our first child last year, the cutest little baby boy. Now, we are both back to work and we are pretty fortunate that our companies have allowed us to work flexibly around our child care arrangements. For me, that means bringing my son to day care, twice a week, around 8 am. Which gets me to site around 9. But the experience hasn’t been all positive. I get there and I hear these sarcastic comments such as “are you working banker’s hours”, or “is your watch broken”. To be honest, it’s pretty annoying.

Discussion question

• As a peer or manager, overhearing these comments, what should you do?
• Try to translate the situation to your own experiences: have your experienced something similar in your workplace? How were they managed?
• What can you do at your workplace, to better accommodate work and other obligation in life?

Things to consider

More and more employees (of all genders and ages, in Skanska and elsewhere), regard flexible work arrangements as one of the most important aspect when assessing different employment opportunities.

• Review your BU policy and practice on flexible working.
• Review gender specific expectations in this scenario above, would a woman receive the same comments?
• Discuss the difference between friendly bantering versus bullying and clear cut harassment. Remember it’s the experience of the person on the receiving, rather than the intention of “the sender”, that matters the most.
• Skanska does not accept any kind of harassment, bullying or discrimination. Always try to resolve situations like the one in the scenario by open, candid conversations. If this isn’t possible turn to your manager, your manager’s manager or HR. As last resort there is always also our ethics hotline.
• We will never be “fully done” with inclusion – it’s a continuous improvement journey where all of us are responsible to do our part. An inclusive workplace is characterized by openness, fairness, trust and respect. We should be speak up for each other to safeguard inclusion.