5 Things / DEI credits
I'm frequently asked how to engage employees in diversity, equity, and inclusion when their job function is business development and/or billable work. These are employees who may spend a lot of time in the field and are unable to attend your antiracism workshop. Or maybe they're 100% billable and can't commit to the DEI committee.
To be honest, I haven't seen many success stories. That's why I'm so impressed to read about a new trend among law firms to provide annual billable hours credit to be used for DEI work. Reed Smith is the firm highlighted in the article, but it's also trending elsewhere. I'd love to see other industries follow suit. (h/t Emily Farr)
How has your organization found success addressing these challenges? Please respond...I'd love to hear what you've learned.
Here are some other good vibes I found this week:
Ulta Beauty introduced multiple new racial equity initiatives, including doubling the selection of Black-owned brands, marketing and development for those products, and quarterly mandatory unconscious bias training for all employees. This matters because these initiatives address past complaints of racial profiling at Ulta, and also expand access to shelf-space at the company.
Nike has a new sneaker that's hands-free. No laces needed. The matters because these FlyEase sneakers are accessible to many people who want an active lifestyle yet need help tying their shoes.
The kids cartoon Blues Clues and You! has a new A to Z alphabet song. The P is Pride - and the animation is a variety of Pride flags, including the Transgender Pride flag and the flag with Black and brown stripes. This matters because kids are never too young to be taught to celebrate diversity.
Spotify became the latest company to announce a "work from anywhere" policy. This could include the office, home, or elsewhere. Spotify specifically noted that this policy was made, in part, to expand their talent pool. This matters because it's one systemic solution to increasing workforce diversity.
Are any of these ideas ones you can easily adapt for your own organization?
Image: Working Mother