Oct 6 – When Equality Doesn’t Cut It: How to Bring an Equity Lens to Workplace Violence Prevention PART 1

DATE: October 6, 2021

TIME: 9:00-10:30AM PDT

Speaker: Jennifer Mak and Glenn French

Click Here to view the recorded webinar

Over the last year, due partly to the Covid-19 pandemic, many longstanding social, health, and employment inequities and human rights issues impacting marginalized communities have taken centre stage. More than ever, employees have a working knowledge of workplace issues, such as violence, harassment and discrimination, including their rights and the rights of others.

We have reached a “tipping point,”; a term popularized by Malcolm Gladwell in his book of the same name, referring to the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point – when ideas and calls for change or innovation take hold.

In most cases, this call for change is made respectfully; however, demands can take on a more personal and, at times, menacing tone. Claims of workplace violence, harassment and discrimination preoccupy employers, who are left to manage the underlying discontent of those who feel that they are being mistreated. Human Resources and Occupational Health and Safety practitioners are on the frontline of these issues and are often the first to be contacted. One common demand is for an end to workplace inequities and a renewed focus on “fairness” in the form of equality. However, what does fairness mean when we know that everyone is so different? What about equity?

In this two-part webinar series, we will expand on these workplace issues and learn how an equity lens can foster a more harmonious workplace. In our first session, we introduce you to a practical framework to better understand equity and how it can inform many of your decisions relating to workplace conduct. You will learn:

• What is equity vs equality, and why are they essential in managing workplace conduct?
• How equity applies to Human Resources and Occupational Health and Safety protocols?
• How do you establish an equity lens, and why is it critical for a respectful workplace?
• How can you develop and maintain an equity-informed management style?
• How to make equity a process – not an event.