D&I professionals are in a unique position to support a business climate that is currently shifting in response to the pandemic. We can leverage a space safe for each other.
The pandemic has created an opportunity to broaden their message and increase the impact.
Hopefully at the end of this, we will move from a self-centered mindset, to a place of better understanding where we benefit as a society who thinks of those who need help.
Disability:IN COVID Call Notes
Return to Work
- “Disabilities and Return to Work Planning“ Highlights from Disability:IN’s 2020 Executive Sponsor Roundtable produced by EY
Insights from our Corporate Partners
Provide resources to leaders
- Teach leaders how to foster inclusive and accessible environments virtually
- Act as D&I champions
- Begin meetings with check-ins
- “Nudges” (small, digestible pieces of information) will help leaders recognize the ways that the current climate is affecting employees, especially those with disabilities
- Encourage managers to continuously check in especially on those with little experience utilizing virtual environments
Focus on people
- Check in on leaders first and use them to check in with all employees
- Ensure that everyone has support they need to be successful
- Create forums where people can be heard (fireside chats etc.)
- Recognize the importance of creating safe spaces
- This is an opportunity to crowd source problem solving
Utilize your ERG/BRG
- Lean on ERG/BRG leaders to help decide what work should be paused
- Identify areas where ERGs/BRGs can be supportive given the current business climate
- Work together to identify smart intentional ways to get involved
- Utilize ERGs/BRGs as platforms to communicate available resources with employees (childcare/mental health etc.)
Think outside the box
- Virtual summits
- Ensure resources are accessible in multiple ways (desktop, mobile etc.)
- “Mindful Minutes”—meditation period for 15 minutes daily
Address new stigmas specifically towards Asia and Asian communities
- Work with communications team to spread relevant and factual information
- Make sure that people are aware of the stigmas so that they can actively support efforts
- Add link below signatures about ways to support these efforts
- Create posters about stopping the spread of misinformation
Expand benefits
- Eliminate benefit delays
- Acknowledge that most work will now be done remotely
- Expand tele-doctor benefits
- Explore emergency childcare option
About the COVID-19 Response Series
As we work together and learn during this unprecedented time, we are guided by two broad principles:
- Designing and implementing responses to COVID-19 that are based on facts, objective evidence, and science; and
- Ensuring that our responses are genuine, effective, and meaningful by taking into consideration the functional needs of all employees, including individuals with disabilities through the provision of reasonable accommodations, including accessible websites, online systems, mobile apps and other forms of information and communication technologies.
Disability:IN has compiled the following resources to support your disability inclusion work during COVID-19. Please know that more resources will be added as they become available. If you have a resource that isn’t listed but should be, please email Kate Calcutt.