WHY WE CREATED THE DIVERSITY DIVE ARTICLE SERIES
DEIB is About Understanding the Diverse Needs of Our Clients
We believe that DEIB – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging are more than words. Our DEIB Diversity Dive articles cover how to work with people of all backgrounds, highlighting their valuable contributions and unique considerations. At Arcadia, DEIB is an ongoing effort to better represent our communities, company, and industry in the most authentic ways possible.
Celebrating Our Immigrant Associates
American immigrants bring diversity to our culture via art, food, music, and ideas, further enriching our communities. By sharing their varied experiences with us, our immigrant associates educate us in unique ways and help us find solutions to longstanding problems. Immigration helps reduce one of the nation’s largest issues: the supply of labor. Simply put, more people in the country means more people in the workforce which greatly benefits the economy.
Working Through Grief
Most people’s worst fear is the loss of a loved one. Be it a parent, spouse, or child, we are consistently wracked with worrisome thoughts of catastrophes that could befall our favorite people. We may even grieve for our own misfortunes. Many of us have already experienced loss and may still be processing those feelings. Simply put, grief is the feeling of loss and may be felt for past, present, or future losses. We may grieve death, illness, or other health concerns. However, grief is not only limited to the loss of life.
Age Discrimination in the Workplace
One commonly overlooked work discrimination factor is age. Individuals aged 40 and over are protected under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967. This act bans using age as a determining factor in hiring, promotion, or other work incentives. While both older and younger employees may experience some form of age discrimination, this article will focus on the experiences of older professionals.
Disabilities at Work
Disabilities at work are very common. According to the CDC, 61 million people are living with disabilities in the U.S. If this number seems shocking, remember that some disabilities are less apparent than others. While the most common type of disability is mobility (difficulty walking), there are six primary types of disabilities: mobility, cognition, hearing, vision, independent living, and self-care (difficulty bathing or dressing alone).
Mindfulness When Working with Black Women
All women have been challenged by gender bias in the workforce, but you may be unaware of some specific difficulties Black women face at work. According to the 2019 U.S. Census, all women were paid 83% of what non- Hispanic white men were paid. In comparison, Black women were paid only 63% of the earnings of their white male counterparts who worked the same jobs. This is why mindfulness when working with Black women is important.
Conflict at Work: Let’s Be Honest
All conflict starts with one issue: communication. Luckily, the issue can also be its own solution with a little effort. Conflict is not inherently negative. Conflict is actually a necessary part of growth and change. As individuals, we will naturally have thoughts, feelings, and values that differ from those around us. These differences can make it difficult to understand and relate to each other causing interpersonal conflict from the time we’re kids on the playground to adults in the office.
Diversity in Learning Styles
Have you ever noticed that you learn more under certain circumstances than others? Maybe you learn more from watching a YouTube video than from reading a manual. Some others struggle to retain verbal directions and need time to sit and read them carefully. These people are generally good notetakers!
