Immediate actions for supporting inclusion in difficult times

Table of Contents

Be proactive

Supporting employees during difficult times requires the organisation and leadership to be proactive about inclusion.

Conversations around difficult times can be perceived by leadership and D&I leads as difficult, higher risk and sensitive conversations. In some cases, many leaders and/or D&I leads may not feel like they know enough about the difficult times events to initiate and have a conversation with employees about them. Many organisations may choose to remain silent.

However, organisations remaining silent after violence or harm against a particular community can convey to employees “that the threatened aspect of their identity is not valued or important in the workplace.” 1 

You do not need to be an expert on the issue to be able to support inclusion in difficult times. Instead:

  • be aware of the diversity of your team
  • understand the potential impacts on your employees from marginalised backgrounds.

If you think that a current event might have personal relevance or impact on any of your employees, check in on them. Try to avoid making assumptions about how they may or may not feel. Even if you find that these difficult times haven’t affected your employees, checking in creates a workplace culture of empathy and support.

Don’t wait for employees to tell you they are having a hard time – recognise the diversity in your organisation and how current events can affect employees. Remember that even though the events may feel geographically distant, if an employee shares an identity or lived experience with the event victims, they can feel closer to experiencing harm due to their identity or experience. 2 Difficult times can require additional supports for inclusive teams and for employee wellbeing.

Cultivate a culture of checking in. 3 Check in with team members who are disproportionately impacted by difficult times and cultivate a culture of checking in with the whole team. Cultivate a culture of checking in by:

  • Acknowledging the situation. Give the team a heads up that there will be opportunities for dialogue around the difficult times and its impact on the team. 4 Specify what these opportunities are, for example that you will be reaching out to team members individually to check in.  During the check in, acknowledge the situation, listen to their concerns, validate their experiences.
  • Reaffirming employee’s diversity. Reminding employees and the team that all dimensions of their diversity are respected and valued in the workplace. This can include communication via emails or team meeting presentations about the importance of D&I in the workplace and how everyone is supported during difficult times (see Communicating D&I).
  • Remind employees of support services, networks and policies. Reminding employees via emails, newsletters and team meetings of support services and networks available, such as Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) or Employee Affinity Groups. If your organisation does not have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), refer to community-led or public support services available for all in Australia (See Support Services). Remind employees of the relevant policies for support such as flexibility and compassionate bereavement support.

Assess your Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

D&I should be the foundation of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) service – ensure EAP support is accessible and safe for all employees to use. EAP is a confidential counselling service offered by employers to their employees to support their social and psychological wellbeing in the workplace and in their personal lives. 5

If your business or organisation has an EAP, ensure that the program is equipped to provide support for employees with a background of marginalisation and be responsive to difficult times. For example, do they have trans-affirming or gender-affirming care when transgender issues are widely circulated in the media?

Below are resources with steps or principles around better and inclusive EAPs:

Promote Employee Resource Groups and Employee Affinity Groups

Having Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) or Employee Affinity Groups and encouraging people to join a group means that employees can develop closer relationships with each other and make it easier for team members to provide support to employees from marginalised backgrounds when they are going through a difficult time.

Ensure ERGs and Employee Affinity Groups are used not just for social support but can also help affect meaningful organisational change. ERGs typically consist of a diversity of workers from a particular demographic group who come together regularly to:

  • create a sense of belonging and support that may not exist elsewhere in the organisation
  • provide psychological safety to the group’s members in the wake of distressing experiences
  • ensure their voices are heard – and listened to
  • provide feedback and recommendations on how to address systemic barriers that have hindered their development, progression, and retention in the organisation
  • contribute to the implementation of the broader diversity and inclusion strategy. 6

DCA has extensive resources on ERGs, Networks and Affinity Groups here. This includes steps on how to set up and run successful ERGs and Employee Affinity Groups.

Reflect on policies and procedures

Reflecting on organisational policies to ensure they support employees who are going through a difficult time. For example, in the Israel and Gaza crisis (2023-ongoing), employees with family and friends in the region would be extremely concerned for their safety and some may have loved ones who have lost their lives or who are missing. Flexibility and compassionate bereavement support as well as interventions for discrimination, bullying and harassment policies and practices could support these employees. 7

Flexibility. Employees going through difficult times may need more workplace flexibility. For example, employees trying to be in regular contact with family or friends who are in conflict zones overseas may wish to take phone calls during work times or need adjustments to their work hours so that they can support their communities. 8 

For flexibility to be effectively implemented, DCA recommends adopting a teams-based approach. DCA has resources on facilitating a teams-based approach on flexibility in the following resources:

Compassionate bereavement support. Employees may have lost family and friends during difficult times, whether it is through war or conflict, genocide, institutional violence, etc. Reflecting on whether your workplace has compassionate bereavement support, such as leave and returning to work plans, would support these employees.

Interventions for discrimination, bullying and harassment. Employees going through a difficult time may experience exacerbated discrimination and marginalisation in their everyday life, and in the workplace. Reinforcing and reflecting on whether there are clear policies for intervening on discrimination, bullying and harassment would support these employees.

D&I policies should link with other relevant policies such as grievance procedures, disciplinary procedures, codes of conduct, employment agreement, OH&S procedures, etc. and/or bullying/harassment/discrimination policies which identify the full range of inappropriate workplace behaviours.

Workplaces should have policies in place which cover:

  • direct and indirect discrimination; harassment (including via technology); bullying; victimisation; and vilification
  • definitions and examples of inappropriate behaviours
  • responsibilities of both managers and employees
  • options for responding to inappropriate workplace behaviour
  • a current definition of ‘workplace’ (i.e. a place at which someone works or otherwise carries out functions in connection with work, including conferences, training centres, restaurants for work lunches, hotels for work trips and office parties)
  • reference to the fact that intent is irrelevant under legislation

See DCA’s resources on Unlawful workplace behaviour (such as discrimination, bullying and harassment).

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Support services

This webpage discusses events and systemic discrimination which have harmed or continue to harm communities.

If you or someone close to you is in distress or immediate danger, call 000 as soon as possible.

Should you need support, please contact mental health support agencies, such as:  

 
  1. Prengler, M. et al, "How to be an ally to colleagues after violence against their communities," Harvard Business Review, 10 February 2023
  2. Ibid.
  3. R. Gitlin, "(Dis)connected allyshipin the wake of tragedy: Bridging individual and collective pain," Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 2018
  4. J.G. Asare, “3 ways to support employees during tragedy, ” Forbes, 15 May 2022
  5. NSW Government, Employee Assistance Programs – Policy Directive, 2022
  6. Diversity Council Australia (V. Mapedzahama, F. Laffernis, A. Barhoum, and J. O’Leary). Culturally and Racially Marginalised Women in Leadership: A framework for (intersectional) organisational action, Diversity Council Australia, 2023, p. 60
  7. CIPD, Supporting your workforce during the conflict in Israel and Gaza, 20 October 2023
  8. Ibid.