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2018 Annual General Meeting

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

JOURNEY TO DIVERSITY WORKPLACES

NOTICE is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of Journey to Diversity Workplaces (the “Corporation”) is called for and will be held

at Skype

on Thursday, 17th of May, 2018

at 8:00 pm (EDT) sharp.

Agenda.

  1. Welcome

  2. President & CEO’s report

  3. Treasurer’s report

  4. Election of Directors

  5. By-law revisions

  6. Adjournment

Final date to receive nominations will be 7th day of May, 2018. Only Class A, B, and D members may vote, and Class C members running for the Board of Directors.

All welcome we do hope you can join us.

Please register to attend below!

DATED the 5th of April, 2018.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD

Peter V. Tretter

President & CEO

Journey to Diversity Workplaces

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Call for Directors

Journey to Diversity Workplaces

Journey to Diversity Workplaces is seeking nominations for our Board of Directors at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 17 May, 2018.

Positions:

Board of Directors (2 years)

  • Director (5 positions)

Board of Directors (1 year – mid-term)

  • Director (5 positions)

Journey to Diversity Workplaces is comprised of volunteers, members, and employees (when applicable.) A full term on the board of directors is 2 years. Board membership is intended to reflect a diversity of experience, skills, knowledge and abilities suited to the strategic needs of the organization. We are looking for members from all areas of the community and from a range of backgrounds.

Officers are appointed by the board annually at the first meeting following the AGM so that discussion on the various offices can occur to avoid any misunderstanding.

Directors are expected to:

  • Commit to their term on the Board of Directors and devote an average of five (5) hours per month to the organization (hours vary and at peak times of the year will be higher)

  • Attend at least 80% of board meetings, well prepared in advance

  • Participate in J2DW events, including meetings, training, outreach, fundraising events, press conferences, and other activities as necessary

  • Be readily accessible and responsive to electronic communication

For a full job description, and to apply to join the board, please visit https://www.j2dw.ca/about-us/the-board-of-directors/bod-job/

All are welcome to apply, though we are looking for volunteers with experience in medicine (including doctors or nurses,) law (including lawyers or paralegals,) strategic planning, and public relations!

Promoting Social Cohesion Through Diversity and Inclusion

Social cohesion refers to the social factors that bond individuals at the community, national, or universal levels. It occurs through the building of positive social relationships.

This involves the willingness of members of society to cooperate with each other in order to survive and prosper and an accessible community with a barrier-free environment. One that does not limit anyone’s participation in everyday life.

Diversity encompasses acceptance and respect. It includes an understanding that each individual is unique and recognizes the individual differences of people in a society.

Social inclusion improves on the terms that individuals and groups take part in a society. A socially inclusive society is where people feel valued by others. Their differences are respected. Their basic needs are met, so that people can live in dignity within the society.

Inclusion is a feeling of belonging, being treated fairly, and providing people with an equal opportunity to be successful. Social exclusion is a process where people are denied full access to various rights, opportunities, and resources that available to members of a different group in the society.
Diversity and inclusion can promote social cohesion. Social cohesion a means to bond diverse groups of people in working toward a common goal for the improvement of the society to benefit the well-being of everyone.

Social cohesion is when people live peaceful lives. When diversity is accepted in societies, they begin to be more productive innovators by approaching problems from different perspectives.
Some of the benefits of social inclusion cohesion are people experiencing a sense of belonging in community with an increased level of acceptance, providing valuable societal roles to increase individual self-worth, and developing stronger social bonds between people from a wider range of diverse backgrounds.

When people experience even some of these conditions in their life, they will more likely be happier and healthier. In non-inclusive societies, people are more likely to experience poor physical and mental health, loneliness, isolation, and lower self-esteem.

Several people with various disabilities unnecessarily experience life in a worse way. Unfortunately, these people may not have gained a sense of presence in their community due to not having adequate access to the social activities to significantly enhance their wellbeing.

People with disabilities may also lack opportunities to work, learn, and develop social relationships with others. Disabled people are sometimes not acknowledged in their community with their skills and unique perspective, where they are untapped or underutilized by society.

Strategies should be developed to promote social cohesion through diversity and inclusion. When a society becomes invested in promoting social cohesion through diversity and inclusion, every person can benefit and societies can be more successful by utilizing the skills and abilities that each member of society has to offer.

References:
Diversity and Inclusion Aids Social Cohesion
The Upside of Diversity and Inclusion
Why Diversity?: Advocacy and Issues
Why Social Inclusion?: Advocacy and Issues

This article was written by volunteer blogger Shan Simpson and edited by volunteer editor Scott Jacobsen.

Lack of Diversity in the Workplace Can Cause Stress Among Employees

This is a sponsored article.

The success of an organization in today’s competitive world depends upon how well it embraces the challenges of diversity and realizes its benefits. Employees from different backgrounds, ages and ethnicities bring their own set of experiences and world views, and are better able to provide a wider range of solutions to developing problems. Most of all, a lack of diversity has been linked to increased discrimination which in turn leads to elevated stress levels among employees. The National Center for Biotechnology Information note that discrimination due to immigrant status, legal status, skin tone or language can contribute to increased stress in individuals.

So how do companies deal with the diversity in the workplace? U.S. companies spend millions of dollars every year on diversity programs and policies, ranging from equal employment opportunity compliance to cultural sensitivity training programs. This leads most people to assume that it makes companies fairer to both women and minorities; the reality is much different, however. Implementing diversity program has little actual positive effect and may even decrease representation according to the Harvard Business Review. Even when there is clear evidence of discrimination, the mere presence of a diversity policy automatically leads people to discount any claims of wrongdoing.

This leads to increased stress levels and with long-term discrimination can lead to acute and chronic stress. The body enters a defensive posture which closes our ability to learn and impairs judgement. Statistics Canada states that over one in four workers report being highly stressed and over 62% of workers reported that work is the main source of stress in their lives.
Lottoland describes this kind of stress as ‘distress’, which could be permanent, prevents the body from coping, is demotivating and decreases productivity. As opposed to ‘eustress’ which is a euphoric stress that can actually motivate, increase productivity and make us feel excited. Strong leaders create a stress-free environment where people do not need to get into that kind of defensive posture.

Diversity should be a critical component of the innovation that leaders strive to achieve in their organization, and research shows that diverse groups outperform homogenous ones. Research conducted by Credit Suisse focusing on 2,400 companies, found that organizations with at least one female board member yielded higher returns on equity and net income growth than those who did not employ women on their board. Working with people from different backgrounds than you will challenge your brain to think more diversely and expand your horizons. The effect of this relationship is that the brain is happier which in turn lowers stress levels and makes a person generally happier as well.

Workplace diversity can, however, have some unwanted effects which leaders must manage effectively by promoting diversity of thought and innovation. Here at Journey to Diversity Workplaces we say that diversity brings about a variety of ethical issues like sexual harassment due to sexual orientation, racism and gender bias. These are critical situations that interfere with work, personal lives and cause high levels of stress both in the workplace and at home. Particularly in a company that is lacking gender and racial diversity these unwanted effects can be more pronounced. A good leader, therefore, must be fair to manage diversity effectively and when employees enter that stressful phase, the leader must be able to pull them out if it. When people experience fair treatment and a positive and genuine diversity, it will in turn reduce their stress levels and improve their health.

This sponsored article was edited by volunteer editor Erin Murphy.

Diversity for Productivity

According to the University of Florida, people are living longer and the world’s globalization will require further interaction from people who are more diversified and come from an array of backgrounds. Typically, they work in diverse and varied environments and this raises questions about tracking this trend and adapting to it. Companies want to perform better in the business world and many would like to advance diversity as well.

The importance of a diverse work and business environment is to be able to maximize and capitalize on workplace productivity and effective management. This places a lot of responsibility on supervisors and managers. We see that the workplace environment is continuing to evolve with the times and that the culture and workplace will follow suit. Based on the report, Diversity in the Workplace from the University of Florida, companies looking to embrace diversity and have inclusive organizational structures will likely gain greater productivity and competitive advantages. Thus, those workplaces that do not choose to evolve will potentially lose productivity.

There are some questions that arise from companies planning or thinking about evolving. How do you do it? What forms will it take? To do it is simply to build a structure from which to onboard people from diverse backgrounds. The forms that it will take will be much more diverse and inclusive from the managerial side all the way down to interns. Of course, as noted in the research, “there is no single recipe for success.” The manager’s ability to be able to understand teamwork and the dynamics of the team in the workplace is very important. A manager or supervisor wants to look into things such as equal employment opportunities in order to capitalize on the larger talent pool, especially when looking at a broader base of the variables for potential employees.

In addition, the manager or supervisor may want to look into the means through which those throughout the hierarchy of the organization can find advancement. If an intern, they can potentially be promoted to part-time or full-time employment. If a full-time employee, they may be able to be promoted to some sub-managerial or supervisory role. As the article summarizes, a diverse set of teams can bring a higher value to organizations in addition to respecting individual differences that can provide an organization or business with a “competitive edge” and increase in “work productivity.”

Many workplaces in the modern era have diverse backgrounds, people, educational experiences and certifications, and so on. If this comes into play, then it will eventually result in a higher productivity of the organization as a whole towards its stated mission, mandate, and goals.

References
Green, K. et al. (2002, June). Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges, and the Required Managerial Tools. Retrieved from https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/HR/HR02200.pdf.

This article was written by volunteer blogger Scott Jacobsen and edited by volunteer editor Erin Murphy.

11 Tips on Respect & Inclusion in the Workplace

It has become a lot easier since back in the day, to express gender and sexuality issues in the workplace. When one could not express a fundamental part of oneself, it tended to hamper the outflow of work. However, with that being said, it does not mean that it has been easy for our current generation. There are still problems that one faces at the workplace in the aspects of respect and inclusion. A ‘closed’ environment can significantly impact an individual’s involvement in the organization, potentially resulting in low staff morale, increased absenteeism, decreased productivity and retention difficulties.

When employees have been working together for a long time, it is likely that they become a tight-knit group and it can make it difficult for new employees to become part of that group. New employees aren’t aware of the group’s internal dynamics yet and can feel left out if everyone is calling out ‘Pepperoni’ at 4pm and you are the odd man out. Therefore, Human Resources departments have come up with techniques to help new employees or an existing employee who is not quite settling in yet to feel included at the workplace. Almost 45% of the employees who leave the workplace do so because of their seniors. That can be a large factor in deciding whether to stay with the company or not.

Here are some Human Resources techniques to help new and existing employees:

i) Open and Effective Communication – provide open communication channels and feedback. This optimizes the opportunity for discussion of issues related to inclusion and discrimination. Having complaint boxes or walk in policies with one’s supervisor would encourage individual’s to open up about the issues bothering them, which would in turn lead to employees feeling more comfortable
ii) Political Differences – everyone has different opinions and they must feel comfortable sharing them with their colleagues, as long as they are work appropriate. This can help build bridges with people who may share similar opinions
iii) Build Relationships – learn about the cultural backgrounds, lives and interests of employees outside of the workplace. Building relationships through increased understanding and trust helps to foster inclusion. (Who knows you may even find someone who you have a lot in common with and could help you move up the corporate ladder)
iv) Get Involved – be creative, flexible and look for new opportunities to join events the company is having such as the annual company picnic
v) Equal Opportunity – This is geared towards employers, as they have to ensure all employees have the equal opportunity to take part in decision-making and planning for social activities
vi) Special Days and Events – it is important to recognize and acknowledge special days and events such as International Day of Persons with Disabilities, International Day to End Racism, Gay Pride celebrations, etc
vii) Create Intranet-based Multicultural Calendars – this helps avoid scheduling important meetings on major cultural holidays so that everyone feels respected and heard
viii) Permit Flexible Schedules – this helps employees who observe religious practices can arrange their schedules around their beliefs. This ensures that the employees know that you respect their faith and also being accommodating
ix) Acknowledgements of Faiths – there are many different faiths in a workplace and the employer needs to respect them. This does not mean employers have to throw parties at every religious holiday but acknowledging it and giving the leeway for a day off will go a long way in building rapport between the employee and employer
x) Accommodating for Employees with Disabilities – for employees that are blind, in a wheelchair or have visual impairment, the employer needs to be accommodating. Have signs in Braille, audiocassettes, make the office accessible with a ramp, elevators, handicap washroom and parking spot
xi) Mental Health – it is important for employees who are suffering from mental health issues to know that they can talk to someone and that they are not alienated. Keep communication doors open and ensure them that they are in a safe environment and provide them with people they can talk to if they need it.

This article was written by volunteer blogger Riya Prem Raaj and edited by volunteer editor Erin Murphy.

8 holiday issues in the workplace

T’is the season to be jolly, fa la la- la la, said no employer ever. The holiday season is where tough decisions at the workplace are at their highest. Holiday parties and holidays, in general, can be an opportunity for employers to improve workers morale such as using holiday bonus incentives. However, the holidays can also be a stressful time where efficiency goes out the window and employers need to have a handle on things and prepare accordingly.

It is that time of year where your office may do Secret Santa or simply exchange gifts with everyone in the office and it can be stressful picking out friendly but appropriate gifts. That is just the tip of the iceberg for employers as they typically will host either an office holiday party or take their employees out for lunch/dinner. As an employer, you hope that your employees know how to conduct themselves, but it is a good idea to make guidelines to ensure things don’t get out of hand. For example, employers could enforce a two-drink limit at a restaurant or simply have the party in the office where drinking would not be permitted. It is important to understand that office parties are not the same as getting together with friends. There may be similar elements such as uncomfortable flirtation or awkward tension between those who don’t see eye-to-eye. What is important for employees to remember is you are still representing the company and any misconduct, especially in public or within the office will reflect badly on you and your company.

Some issues that an employer needs to undertake and be prepared for are:

i) After the holiday party or lunch/dinner, making known to all employees that taxi services are available
ii) Drinking limits are strictly enforced (not allowing someone to give away their drinking ticket to someone else)
iii) Include all of your employees, invite everyone to lunch/ dinner or make sure everyone knows when the office party is so no one is excluded
iv) Have a budget set out for holiday parties and know what the company is able to spend
v) Include other religious holidays, Christmas becomes the dominant holiday while other religious occasions or beliefs are set aside
vi) Look out for sexual harassment, bullying, and aggression, especially when alcohol is in the mix
vii) Account for productivity and make it known amongst your employees what is expected of them before December hits. Not knowing how much work will get done may cost the company if shipments aren’t made in time or sale expectations weren’t met
viii) If an employer needs to fire an employee during the jolly month of December, it is good to try and stay in touch with your other employees. It may induce more stress on your employees if they think they will get fired as well.

It is important to know that there is a thin line between party and ‘partaay.’ Both the employers and employees must respect this line. Though holiday parties can be a lot of fun, we don’t want to see them get out of hand and end up costing the company in litigation fees.

This article was written by volunteer blogger Riya Prem Raaj and edited by volunteer editor Erin Murphy.

Women in the Workplace: The Hidden Battle

Introduction

Throughout our history, women have adopted new roles from working as a housewife to entering the workplace and providing for their family or oneself. As women entered the workplace, we saw issues of sexual harassment, unequal pay and opportunity starting to emerge. These issues are still seen and frequently voiced today as women are continuously taking a stand for their rights. Unfortunately, there are many issues that go unnoticed that need to be addressed. Every day women have to prove that they are just as good or better than their counterparts and when they fail to do so they are labeled as weak, incompetent or just plain lazy.

In the recent years, the discrepancy between men and women has hardly narrowed down. As per statistics, even though roughly the same number of men and women enter the corporate world, it is not odd to see that the percentage of men who climb up the managerial positions are double that of women (Fuhrmans, 2017). A Woman generally has three different stages in her career and with every stage comes a different challenge. Take note that even though there is no particular challenge that emerges within a certain stage, we do see common denominators that go hand in hand with certain stages.

Stage one

Typically women in this stage are young and just starting out in their career and are very ambitious, wanting to climb the corporate ladder. It is in this stage that women are most likely to be subjected to sexual harassment. Being at an entry level position and trying to move up is difficult and some men may try and use that to their advantage. Many women are seen as objects rather than a human being and are preyed against by males. We see sexual harassment being conducted in a number of ways. Such as men in authoritative positions trying to use their title and power to attract and control women. Men who conduct such acts tend to pick on women whom they think are easy targets, would have no one to turn to and who would not be able to stand up for their own rights (Reddy 2017). Sexual harassment is a common issue that all women want to eradicate. This is one of the most shameful and grave challenges that women face at the workplace.

Another challenge women face during this stage is finding a role model, someone they can look up to. Nowadays there are a lot of both men and women leaders in the workplace but very few female role models that other women can look up to. Men leaders tend to train those that look up to them to be like them and when women turn to males as role models, they receive a different result than what a male would see. Since men and women think and communicate differently, it therefore causes women who seek help from men to feel detached and disoriented (Reddy, 2017). We do see some women turning to other female coworkers that are on the same level as them for guidance or learning to make their own path.

Stage two

Stage two typically emerges for women who want start a family and become mothers. Naturally, we see the family becoming a dominant priority and the career coming second. The work-life balance is always a hidden battle for women as throughout centuries women were seen as the sole homemakers and as somebody who would take care of the family at home. Nowadays it is not always set and stone for which parent will take time of to stay at home with the child when it’s born. When women are the ones to take time off and go on maternity leave, we do not see less challenges emerging for them. Maternity leave is not so much of a hidden challenge, but it is one that should be made aware of. Most women who go on maternity leave tend to do so near the newborn’s delivery date and after the baby is born. What needs to be made aware is the stress and discomfort women feel as they work during the nine-month pregnancy. Women not only have to carry and care for another human being inside of them but they also have to deliver the same amount of work productivity and expectations. It is hard for soon-to-be mothers to keep stress levels low and be in a healthy state of mind when they still have to prepare and give presentations at office meetings and ensure to hit tight deadlines all while their bodies are changing (Reddy, 2017).

It sometimes doesn’t get any easier for women once they come back after maternity leave as they have more obstacles to face. Some women are thrown back into the heavy workload they had before leaving while others have to prove their worth to the company all over again. Thankfully we are starting to see changes occurring to help women bridge the gap of returning to work from maternity leave, as corporate firms are now introducing flexible policies for women (Reddy, 2017).

Third stage

The third stage directly correlates with stage two as children are now grown up and house responsibilities for the mother have subsided. We see women shifting their focus to their careers again but are faced with an enormous challenge. It is easier for women who choose to work part time or flexible hours when they were raising their children to transfer back into full time work. Those who took a leave of absence from work for an extended period of time have great trouble reentering the job market. They are seeing that large changes have occurred as technology advances and women are finding it more difficult to get their foot in the door again than when they first entered the job market. Not having recent work experience or keeping updated with where their specific industry is going are all factors that hinder the likelihood of women who took time off taking care of their children to find work in their field again.

Another major issue that arises in stage three is ego clashing. As women climb the corporate ladder and reach management and senior positions, it may cause ego clashing as some men consider themselves superior to women. Some men try to surpass their female manager, look for faults or they may simply not cooperate with orders given to them. It is challenging for women to have to deal with and it is sometimes beneficial to find alternative approaches in communicating and handling difficult people.

Power play politics in the workplace have been in place for a while now and men were seen as the only players. We are now starting to see power struggles occur, as women are starting to fight back and not surrender power to men. Women have to work vigorously to survive these power play politics and for some it is a crucial part for them to get hired in upper management (Reddy, 2017). Meanwhile, a lot of men are automatic contenders and go through far less scrutiny and obstacles to be considered for certain roles. Power play politics takes a lot of hardship out on a women and it sometimes can disturb ones emotional and mental peace. Power play is one such challenge that all women have to deal with no matter what sector they work in (Reddy, 2017). It is an unfortunate part of our society but women are starting to make real head way in the issue.

Conclusion

Challenges are found at every stage of life and not just in the workforce. It is important to move out of comfort zones and explore different avenues and for a lot of women, the more challenges they face, the more satisfaction they get from their achievements. While all these things are imminent for a well-rounded personality, some of the workplace battles which women face every day hinder their overall well being. There is a lot of energy and effort that women put into overcoming these challenges and issues in hopes that one day, women won’t have to go through the same obstacles and challenges that they did.

References

Fuhrmans, V. (2017). The Hidden Battle fo the Sexes at work. Retrieved 12 11, 2017, from The Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com

Reddy, K. (2017). Women in the Workplace: Top 10 Issues and Challenges. Retrieved 12 08, 2017, from Wise Step.com: https://content.wisestep.com