A manager is fair when he treats other fairly, according to their merits and according to the rules. His approach and decision making must follow a reasonable logic. The majority of people consider fairness as one of the most important traits of a boss they would like to work for.
When there is a fair manager, employees don’t have to spend their time worrying about what is going to happen and who is going to be cheated or mistreated. They don’t need to think about how to promote themselves in the eyes of the boss. They can focus on their work and activities that truly matter. The basic rule is that when you want to be fair, you should treat others as you want them to treat you, claims the management.about.com website.
Don’t play favorites
Don’t assign all the easy task to one person and all the bad jobs to someone you don’t like. That wouldn't foster atmosphere of fairness, would it? Instead, approach each member of your team as unique individuals who deserve respect. Your attitude must be positive and balanced.
Changing the rules
It's OK to renegotiate and change the rules when the situation has changed. It can be true that rules made at the beginning lead to unfair outcomes now. When you do that, you always have to explain why you are making the change. Explain how it will increase fairness. Be honest and tell them why a new procedure has been put in place. Rules must be applied equally for all and followed not only by your team, but also by you, too.
Be aware of outcomes
When you are assigning tasks, don’t only focus on actual fairness. You need to think about how the others perceive the distribution of work as well. For example, if everyone has to pay 100 CZK for coffee, it may be a rather high expense for a temporary worker who is still studying at university. And what about the people who don't even drink coffee?
-jk-