(Each month our feature question is taken from the BuildForce Canada Respectful Workplace Online Self-Assessment Tool. This Tool allows organization leadership to assess their progress toward a Respectful and Inclusive Workplace and benchmark their progress confidentially against other construction organizations. This Tool is one of three in the BuildForce Canada online Respectful and Inclusive Workplace Toolkit.)
Has your organization developed a communications plan to build awareness of and support for your respectful and inclusive workplace plan or set of objectives?
Recognize that creating and supporting a respectful and inclusive workplace will affect every aspect of your corporate culture: it requires day-to-day ongoing action and engagement.
- Use every communication channel, including websites.
- Find ways to tell the stories of employees positively impacted by respectful and inclusive policies and behaviours.
- Communicate not only “what” the new policies are, but “why” they are important, e.g., how they can improve sales, innovation or reduce turnover costs.
- Communicate the support for respect and inclusion by company executives/managers in multiple ways, e.g., through statements and/or video testimonials on your website, and special newsletters dedicated to the respectful and inclusive workplace initiative, etc.
For more info:
- BuildForce Canada. Respectful and Inclusive Workplace Toolkit. 2018.
- Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion. Overcoming Fear and Resistance. 2014. See https://ccdi.ca/media/1074/20150217-ccdi-report-addressing-fear-and-resistance-in-di-eng.pdf.
- Deloitte. Deloitte Millennial Survey. 2018. See https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/millennialsurvey.html#.
This project has been funded by Status of Women Canada.
Respectful and Inclusive Workplaces
