When you go to work, you often socialize with people who you may not normally mix with, and who you wouldn’t choose to be friends with outside of the workplace.

They may be a lot older or younger than you, they might be of a different nationality, religion or sexual orientation to you, or they may follow a different football team.

That’s where tolerance plays a big part. It’s an important life skill that shows the capacity to accept differences in others, and respect other people’s lifestyle choices and opinions.

What is the International Day for Tolerance?

Following the adoption of the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance by the UNESCO member states on November 16, 1995, the UN General Assembly proclaimed this day as the International Day for Tolerance.

The International Day for Tolerance is now marked every year on November 16 to create awareness about the principles of tolerance. It’s a day for respecting the cultures, beliefs and traditions of others, and for understanding the risks posed by intolerance.

The principles of International Day of Tolerance were originally created to address the alarming rise in acts of intolerance, as highlighted below:

“In the modern world, tolerance is more essential than ever before. It is an age marked by the globalization of the economy and by rapidly increasing mobility, communication, integration and interdependence, large-scale migrations and displacement of populations, urbanization and changing social patterns. Since every part of the world is characterized by diversity, escalating intolerance and strife potentially menaces every region. It is not confined to any country but is a global threat.”

Do you want to receive blog posts like this in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to Electives news.

Tolerance is about being patient, understanding and accepting of anything different. Tolerance is a key part of individuals and teams being able to work together effectively.

And, of course, tolerance in the workplace should be demonstrated on a daily basis, not just once a year, because an organization’s ability to thrive depends greatly on people being willing and able to work as a team.

So how do you encourage your employees to be tolerant of each other – no matter how different they may be?

It’s important for an organization to lead by example by having an open-minded and fair approach, and to not lose sight of the reasons behind the decisions it makes.

Set clear expectations for your employees and set these expectations out in policies and codes of conduct, so everyone knows that inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated. What’s more, everyone should be held equally accountable for their actions, irrespective of their seniority.

Delivering an exceptional employee experience to your entire workforce is fundamental to the success of your organization. And that starts with your employees demonstrating tolerance of each other. But, to demonstrate tolerance, employees need to understand and accept each other’s similarities and differences.

By building the following elements into your organization’s principles, you can encourage tolerance throughout the workplace:

Avoid stereotypes and respect individuality

Choose your words carefully – be sensitive to the language you use

Think twice about telling a potentially hurtful joke

Focus on commonalities rather than differences

Stand up for others if they’re being unfairly treated

Educating employees on tolerance in the workplace

Education is the most effective way of preventing intolerance in the workplace. Have open conversations and encourage employees to share and embrace their cultural differences so others can learn.

Are you looking for ways to create greater understanding of inclusivity and tolerance throughout your company? Contact the Electives team for ideas.

The Electives Library of Live Learning is stocked with classes that are inclusive, experiential, impactful and unforgettable, including these classes designed help prevent intolerance:

Building Inclusive Workplaces: Diversity, equity and inclusion training 101 

The Power of Inclusive Conversation: Challenging dialogue across difference

Diversity Inclusion: Behind the mask – broadening the definition of diversity to be more inclusive

Understanding Racism: A deconstruction of race in the western world, that will change your outlook forever

Click here to search the Electives Library of Live Learning.

When you go to work, you often socialize with people who you may not normally mix with, and who you wouldn’t choose to be friends with outside of the workplace.

They may be a lot older or younger than you, they might be of a different nationality, religion or sexual orientation to you, or they may follow a different football team.

That’s where tolerance plays a big part. It’s an important life skill that shows the capacity to accept differences in others, and respect other people’s lifestyle choices and opinions.

What is the International Day for Tolerance?

Following the adoption of the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance by the UNESCO member states on November 16, 1995, the UN General Assembly proclaimed this day as the International Day for Tolerance.

The International Day for Tolerance is now marked every year on November 16 to create awareness about the principles of tolerance. It’s a day for respecting the cultures, beliefs and traditions of others, and for understanding the risks posed by intolerance.

The principles of International Day of Tolerance were originally created to address the alarming rise in acts of intolerance, as highlighted below:

“In the modern world, tolerance is more essential than ever before. It is an age marked by the globalization of the economy and by rapidly increasing mobility, communication, integration and interdependence, large-scale migrations and displacement of populations, urbanization and changing social patterns. Since every part of the world is characterized by diversity, escalating intolerance and strife potentially menaces every region. It is not confined to any country but is a global threat.”


Do you want to receive blog posts like this in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to Electives news.


Encouraging tolerance in the workplace

Tolerance is about being patient, understanding and accepting of anything different. Tolerance is a key part of individuals and teams being able to work together effectively.

And, of course, tolerance in the workplace should be demonstrated on a daily basis, not just once a year, because an organization’s ability to thrive depends greatly on people being willing and able to work as a team.

So how do you encourage your employees to be tolerant of each other – no matter how different they may be?

It’s important for an organization to lead by example by having an open-minded and fair approach, and to not lose sight of the reasons behind the decisions it makes.

Set clear expectations for your employees and set these expectations out in policies and codes of conduct, so everyone knows that inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated. What’s more, everyone should be held equally accountable for their actions, irrespective of their seniority.

Delivering an exceptional employee experience to your entire workforce is fundamental to the success of your organization. And that starts with your employees demonstrating tolerance of each other. But, to demonstrate tolerance, employees need to understand and accept each other’s similarities and differences.

By building the following elements into your organization’s principles, you can encourage tolerance throughout the workplace:
Show respect and kindness to colleagues
Be inclusive – celebrate diversity
Avoid stereotypes and respect individuality
Choose your words carefully – be sensitive to the language you use
Think twice about telling a potentially hurtful joke
Focus on commonalities rather than differences
Stand up for others if they’re being unfairly treated
Educating employees on tolerance in the workplace

Education is the most effective way of preventing intolerance in the workplace. Have open conversations and encourage employees to share and embrace their cultural differences so others can learn.

Are you looking for ways to create greater understanding of inclusivity and tolerance throughout your company? Contact the Electives team for ideas.

The Electives Library of Live Learning is stocked with classes that are inclusive, experiential, impactful and unforgettable, including these classes designed help prevent intolerance:
Building Inclusive Workplaces: Diversity, equity and inclusion training 101 
The Power of Inclusive Conversation: Challenging dialogue across difference
Diversity Inclusion: Behind the mask – broadening the definition of diversity to be more inclusive
Understanding Racism: A deconstruction of race in the western world, that will change your outlook forever
Click here to search the Electives Library of Live Learning.


Do you want to receive blog posts like this in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to Electives news.

CALL TO ACTION

The International Day for Tolerance is now marked every year on November 16 to create awareness about the principles of tolerance. 

How do you prevent intolerance in the workplace?

Mon Oct 17 2022

Related Classes