Nursery World - HR Guru: Workplace Culture

Imogen Edmunds, managing director of Redwing Solutions, which specialises in HR for early years settings, on workplace culture

I was recently told that no employee cares about your workplace culture.

I disagree with this statement. Nurseries that have a toxic workplace culture see high labour turnover, low morale, poor-quality provision for children, low standards, and high levels of staff absenteeism. If you work in a toxic workplace, you risk being bullied, harassed and it having a lasting impact on your mental health.

While your team might not recognise the emphasis you place on workplace culture, they definitely know what it is if it is lacking.

One of the best examples of workplace culture is where the employer has created a sense of community. Don't confuse community with family. Families can be toxic and often dysfunctional, and this is not what we want for our workplace. Whether intentionally or not, calling our workplace a family can also blur the lines. More of us want a distinction between work and family. We shouldn't make people feel bad for prioritising family over work. It leads to burnout.

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