Explore Ideas and Learnings

Description of Initiative:

Workplace celebrations are tangible signals of what matters to your organization. It’s important to evaluate which traditions are being highlighted, and which ones might be missing. The best way to know what your employees care about is to ask.

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‍Primary Takeaway: ‍

A balance of perspectives leads to more innovation, 87% better decisions, and often prevents big mistakes. However, it’s unlikely that your diverse talent will share their perspectives and ideas if they don’t feel included. The first step is changing company systems and policies to reflect the diversity of your employees. The best way to start is to ask your employees questions! Some questions to consider asking:

• What holidays would you like to see recognized in the office?
• What cultural celebrations are important to you?
• Is there anything else we should know about the holidays that are important to you?

From here, this information about your employees should inform the path forward.

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‍Additional Takeaway:‍

Time off of work doesn’t necessarily need to be the solution for celebrations and inclusivity. Often, cultural holidays can be celebrated in the workplace community and can be used to bring awareness.

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Examples of cultural holidays include:

• Black History Month. February.
• Women’s History Month. March.
• Autism Awareness Month. April.
• Pride Month. June.
• Juneteenth. June Nineteenth.

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Ways to Celebrate Include:

• Get involved outside the office. Invite the office to join in for the local Pride Parade. Send out a Facebook invite, details on where to meet, and consider grabbing a meal beforehand
• Get involved in the office. Host a panel discussion for Black History Month. Have an external speaker to come in and teach about LGBTQ+ history.
• Highlight Support Groups Available. If there’s an office group that fundraises and hosts events related to that topic, give them the spotlight to ask for donations or plan an awareness event.

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Learn more here