WELLNESS WEDNESDAY #52: Four Ways To Make Work More Inclusive

Each week, ICBA’s Jordan Bateman reflects on what we’ve learned as we participate in ICBA’s Workplace Wellness Program. This program is free for all ICBA members – check out icba.ca/wellness for details.

The team at ICBA is now into our final month of our Workplace Wellness program, and we’re looking at Diversity and Inclusion – creating a dynamic workforce where differences are appreciated and valued.

I think our Wellness program is at its very best when it offers practical tips or next steps that any of us can implement to make our mental health, our lives, our relationships, and our workplaces better.

This week, there were four super-practical steps to being more inclusive at work:

• Take the chance to connect with a new member of the team in a positive way - it could be as simple as asking for, or offering, a recommendation for lunch
• Call out behaviour that is intended to exclude someone/a group - be an ally for others
• Consider the words you use and whether you are being unintentionally exclusive - for example saying "you guys" when you talk to a group which includes women or people who do not define as male.
• If someone has a good idea or raises an important issue but is ignored or not properly considered, support them and try to encourage others to reconsider - it will show the person they are supported and included

None of those are very hard to do, yet they could make a world of difference for a co-worker feeling lonely or misunderstood.

ICBA’s Workplace Wellness Program is helping more than 75 companies and 7,000+ construction professionals better understand mental health. The program is free for ICBA members — see icba.ca/wellness.