As we settle into the swing of yet another calendar year and find ourselves in the middle of yet another busy month for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) professionals (Women’s History Month), some people may be missing the alarm bells. DEI professionals are currently facing a unique susceptibility to burnout and not enough is being done about it.

Have you ever been on a team where you felt fully supported and appreciated? An environment where you knew that it was okay to make mistakes and were encouraged to grow, entrusted by leadership to take healthy risks and reach new levels?

If you’ve found your way to this blog, you probably are familiar with Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), sometimes called Affinity Groups or Employee Networks. For those who aren’t, a quick overview: ERGs are workplace groups created by and for people who share some identity, experience, or affiliation.

I am Abhishek, a Senior Consultant at Seen@Work and through my work I help Seen@Work’s clients investigate their organization’s performance on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging and help them make targeted interventions to improve them. Today, I want to talk about Earth Day.

In recent years, neurodiversity advocates have made significant progress in renaming Autism Awareness month to Autism Acceptance month, celebrated annually in April. While this may seem like a slight difference, this change represents a massive shift of trying to “fix” individuals and instead focuses on creating changes in society to support and include people who are neurodiverse.

For Transgender Day of Visibility, we are centering the important topic of how managers can support transgender (trans) employees who choose to come out in the workplace. In 2022, almost 1.5 million adults in the US reported transgender identities.

A McKinsey report states that 42% of women report higher rates of burn out, compared to 35% for men. Furthermore, the same research points to the greater impact of the circumstances on women of color, who reported a greater inclination to leave their current employer within the next 6 month compared to their white counterparts. 

In the final installment of Seen@Work’s celebration of Black History Month, we are shining a spotlight on a small number of the numerous Black business leaders who have defined, and redefined how to run successful organizations. 

As part of Black History Month, we are spotlighting some of the amazing Black trailblazers of both past and present, leaving their mark in American history and paving the way for the future.  

As part of Black History Month, we are spotlighting some of the amazing Black trailblazers of both past and present, leaving their mark in American history and paving the way for the future.  

This Latinx Heritage Month, many of us might be thinking about the many terms we've heard used to describe the community being celebrated this time of year. Perhaps you've wondered, but haven't had someone to ask: Why do some people use Hispanic? Latino? What about Latinx? Does it matter?

Social class is a conversation topic that is often considered taboo in office settings.  Yet, socioeconomic status can influence a number of daily happenings as they relate to physical and mental health, family life, education, and general social interactions. 

In the past 30 years there has been significant growth in the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) field, both in practice and in academia. Increasingly, DEI is recognized as not just the right thing to do, but also good business sense as there are a number of benefits associated with creating more inclusive workplaces

By now we have all seen the company statements. We’ve likely heard the words from our senior leaders. It’s possible we ourselves have even acknowledged the recent and ongoing acts of police brutality against Black lives in a recent email or virtual meeting. But here’s the thing: words aren’t enough.

The first Disability Pride Day was held in 1990 in Boston to celebrate the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and has since grown and expanded both in geography and meaning. Disability pride is described as increasing the visibility of the disability community through a celebration of disability culture and recognizing how disabled people have contributed to society.

Becoming anti-racist requires an authentic investment in the Black community. Many of company leaders consider making this investment through charitable donations, but there is a way to redirect dollars into underserved communities without donating to a non-profit. When corporate entities work with Black-owned businesses, they supply funds, mentorship, and/or practical skills to Black entrepreneurs and business owners, thus investing in the growth of the Black economy.

As June winds down and July rolls around, the glitter settles, companies remove their rainbow logos, and Pride flags are lowered- only to hibernate until next June. This is a mistake many companies make; they neglect the fact that the LGBTQ community deserves visible celebration and sustained support through all 12 months of the year. While demonstrating your company’s commitment to the LGBTQ community during Pride Month is essential, this solidarity must stick. 

Anti-fat bias is deeply rooted and often openly accepted within our society, and the workplace is no exception. When it comes to employment, research has demonstrated that fat people are perceived as less qualified and less competent, are assumed to have less leadership potential, and are expected to be less successful in the workplace.

Whether they’ve known about your company for ten years or ten minutes, the first time new employees experience your company culture for themselves is during the recruiting process. Hiring managers and recruiters know that the start of the process is an important opportunity to tell candidates what kind of organization they would be joining. 

Employee Resource Groups, or ERGs, are a familiar feature of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work. ERGs (sometimes called Affinity Groups or Business Resource Groups) represent employees with a shared identity, affiliation, or interest. They offer a sense of community to members as well as a platform to advance DEI efforts within an organization.