DEI: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion should be at the core of a company’s culture.

Over the past few years, our workplaces have evolved, and many organizations are in the transitional stage of implementing and fostering their own diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy.

 Organizations are committed to:

• Creating a diverse culture which values the unique attributes we all bring to the workplace

• Understanding the importance of all staff being and feeling heard and included

• Staff believing their organization is fair and they understand what is required to achieve success

• All staff receiving the necessary support and development so they can achieve success

• Creating a culture which encourages unique and innovative suggestions and solutions

• Their staff feeling they are treated with dignity and respect

• Respecting all beliefs and ideas consistent or greater than provincial or federal human rights legislation

• Identifying and deliberately removing barriers and obstacles in their workplace which hinder their teams’ opportunities and disrupt their well-being

Your DEI policy should include specific actions and commitments your organization is going to take to ensure all management and staff are focused on building and living this inclusive culture.

Learn more about creating a comprehensive DEI Strategy

Halcyon Human Resources Professionals have the expertise to write and implement your policy, set up the in-house structure to maintain your policy, values and standards, and train your team to understand the intricacies of living your DEI policy as well as the great strengths which can emanate from it.

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Definitions

• Dignity

  Being treated respectfully

• Discrimination

  Treating people unequally or making a distinction based on legally protected grounds that results in a burden, obligation, or disadvantage that is not imposed on others or which limits access to opportunities, benefits, and advantages available to other members of society.

• Diversity

  The variety of unique dimensions, qualities, and characteristics that we all possess and bring to the workplace to enrich and strengthen our environment through different ideas and experiences.

• Equity

  Fair and just access to opportunities and the action of removing barriers and obstacles which hinder opportunities for all people and fosters an employee’s sense of well being.

• Inclusion

  More than just the action of inclusion, it is the creation of an environment where all staff feel they belong. It is an organization where all individuals feel their differences, ideas and experiences are embraced, valued, and respected.

• Micro-Aggressions

  Everyday slights, insults, or insensitive actions that may be intentionally or unintentionally offensive, directed at people who belong to marginalized groups.

• Protected Grounds

  The characteristics which an employer must not use as reasons to discriminate against an individual or group under human rights legislation. These vary provincially, however generally include race, religious beliefs, colour, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical disability, mental disability, age, ancestry, place of origin, marital status, source of income, family status and sexual orientation.

• Unconscious Bias

  The inclinations or assumptions that we all have that operate without our awareness and can include stereotypes and prejudices towards certain individuals or groups.