As the month of July is upon us, it’s important to remember that the values and sentiments of Juneteenth don’t end in July. The observation and celebration of equity, inclusivity, and diversity in the workplace should be the norm and is something we need to carry on every month of the year.
A positive way to encourage inclusivity and equity in the workplace is by finding ways to celebrate diversity. Workplaces in today’s society are becoming more diverse, and finding strength and camaraderie in our differences will help drive innovation and allow workers to feel more connected, safer, and welcomed in the workplace.
In this article, we’ll go over a few fun and positive ways to celebrate diversity at work.
5 ways to celebrate diversity in the office
Celebrating diversity and creating a positive workplace culture goes well beyond the cut-and-dry HR workshops or seminars. With enough time and effort, you can create engaging diversity-based events and activities that promote a healthy work culture and provide a clear boost to productivity and employee engagement.
[Read More: Diversity Event Ideas in the Workplace]
Below are 5 ways you can start celebrating diversity in the workplace today.
- Develop a multicultural calendar - Having a multicultural calendar in the office is an excellent way to highlight and celebrate various multicultural holidays taking place all over the world. Most countries only acknowledge or observe their own holidays, so allowing your employees to share their unique cultural traditions and celebrations provides more space for education, fun, and inclusivity in the workplace.
- Favorite movie, book, tv series, and music day - Let’s face it, we all love entertainment. One fun way to promote diversity is by inviting employees to share their favorite movie, musical artist, book, or television series from another country or culture. Of course, make sure that the content is workplace appropriate, but bonding over storytelling and art is a wholesome and enriching way to connect with people and cultures.
- Culinary journey day - What’s the only thing we love more than bingeing our favorite tv series and movies? Food! Take your office on a culinary journey by inviting employees to share their favorite cultural dishes. Honoring cultures and differences through food isn’t just mouth-watering, it’s a great example of respect and intimacy between people of different walks of life.
- World map finder - Allow your employees to share where they grew up by placing a map or globe in the middle of the office. Employees can put a pin with a small name tag attached on the country or city that they were born in. This is a fun conversation starter as well as a way for employees to remember and celebrate where they came from.
- Get moving with culture - The corporate world is beginning to realize that requiring workers to sit in the same place for several hours at a time might not be the most productive way to get things done. Employers can help break up the work day by offering several short stretching activities or dance breaks, and highlighting a unique cultural stretch, aerobic activity, or dance is a great way to celebrate differences while getting the blood flowing.
With more than half the workforce believing that their company should be more diverse, it’s incumbent on employers to implement positive and healthy ways to celebrate our diversity and promote inclusivity at work.
The above 5 steps are just a few ways you can start creating a more culturally rich and welcoming workplace.
[Read More: Diversity Training Programs]
Promote culture and wellbeing with Grokker
Regardless of where your employees come from or what their walks of life are, Grokker is dedicated to providing a wellbeing engagement solution that can bring together a diverse array of people under the pillars of health, fitness, sleep, nutrition, financial wellbeing and more.
Create a positive work environment by celebrating diversity and encouraging healthy living with Grokker today.
