Culture Shift wants to power a positive workplace culture in your organisation

by Startacus Admin

Culture Shift, the Manchester-based startup that' wants to change workplace culture for the better...

Workplace bullying and harassment is ingrained in our culture as something that we know is still happening and, for some reason, simply accepted in some work and business environments.

It is so ingrained that it’s always present in films and TV shows that have even a minute set in a workplace, and it isn’t there as an obstacle for the characters to overcome and take down or even as some philosophical statement on the modern workplace; it’s there as background to make the environment more realistic.

We agree that was a slightly odd example to come out with, but there it is.

Many workplaces are little better than a school playground, rife with bullying and intimidation, harassment and threats, only more insidious and harder to handle.

In the UK, workplace bullying reportedly costs the economy around £17.6 billion per year due to declining productivity, turnover, and absenteeism. That is a huge number that isn’t only a large amount of money to be losing, but which represents people - which represents just how rife our workplaces are with bullying, abuse, and harassment.

This is where Manchester-based startup Culture Shift comes in. They have created a platform for people to safely report workplace abuse in confidence. Whether they are the victim of the abuse or a witness to it, the software is a secure and confidential way to report it, anonymously if they choose.

With the software, businesses can intervene in situations before they escalate and use data to identify trends of problematic behaviour to provide specific training. As well as reporting issues with a clear range of options regarding said reporting, the platform allows people to speak with advisors and provides directions to support for whatever it is they have experienced.

For employers, the software allows deep analysis of your workplace culture to understand it better and stay ahead of any problems. Troublesome behaviour trends can be flagged and monitored. As stated earlier, the cost of workplace bullying can be significant and so Culture Shift can, as a matter of secondary importance to the wellbeing and safety of the humans working for you, save your business a lot of money in decreased absenteeism and productivity.

In March, Culture Shift announced that they had raised €1.48 million in funding in a round led by Praetura Ventures. This funding is helping them take the platform from their core user base, universities, to SMEs and professional services companies.

You might also want to read: could covid-19 further exacerbate toxic workplace culture?

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Published on: 3rd June 2020