03 Jun How Employers Should Respond Following the Death of George Floyd
Equity Conversations Being Kickstarted At Work And Don’t Know Where To Begin?
As an employer, you may be struggling with how to respond to the aftermath of the death of George Floyd. I am not a diversity, equity and inclusion expert, but the topic is extremely important and rooted in my work as a Human Resources Consultant. In light of recent events, I wanted to provide a starting point if you are not sure where to begin.
First, Ask Yourself The Following Questions.
How are you ensuring psychological safety for all employees?
What checks and balances do you have in place to guarantee equity in your workplace?
What opportunities do you provide to the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in your organization?
Who is empowered at your company?
How are they compensated?
Where do you donate?
Next, Take Action and Engage.
If you are non-black, seek out resources so you can be informed on racial injustices and inequities, and challenge and educate your families and communities.
Speak out in your organization and to your customers. Silence, simply because you are uncomfortable, can be harmful. It signals to your black employees you don’t know what is harming them and therefore you don’t value them.
Recognize racism is a problem and it is time to correct it. Acknowledge that Black Lives Matter. Do not “dance around” the issue at hand and deflect from the real problem by centering conversations around looting, conspiracy theories, misinformation, or other harmful content.
Provide resources for those in your organization to lead change from within.
Communicate and hold space for your BIPOC employees.
Center and lift up black voices and experiences.
Invest in diversity, equity and inclusion programs within your company.
Donate to qualified organizations, such as those focused on transformative justice, and offer to match employee donations. Consider volunteer opportunities and offering paid time off for employees to volunteer.
Consider offering time off right now for those who need it.
See below for more resources.
Articles On What You Can Do:
https://www.them.us/story/what-you-can-do-to-demand-justice-for-george-floyd
Organizations You Can Donate To:
https://www.joincampaignzero.org/
https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd
https://www.blackvisionsmn.org/
https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/
http://useofforceproject.org/#project
https://thelovelandfoundation.org/
https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/
Books You Can Read:
White Fragility by Robin Diangelo
How To Be An Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
I’m Still Here, Black Dignity In A World Made For Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
Remember you can make an impact now if you just listen, show empathy and compassion, offer support, and carry some responsibility.
