EDI in the Workplace

The Internet is full of acronyms: BRB, TTYL, LOL, the list can go on. They are mostly used in informal interactions, such as texting with friends or catching up with family members on Facebook. However, some acronyms are also commonly seen in the workplace, including WHMIS, HR, R&D, and EDI. The latter, EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) is one of the most important acronyms within a workplace environment. Without it, many of the regulations surrounding workplace etiquette, like healthy relationships between employers and employees, would not exist. Because of this, EDI is crucial for any successful and thriving business.

The notion of EDI implies that all stakeholders—employees, employers, consumers, etc.—should be treated as humans and not numbers. Within this perspective, ethical missteps are no longer seen as isolated events in the past, but reasons for which one can improve their workplace and make it better.

EDI training should be treated as any other type of workplace training – it should be kept up to date as to provide the best possible resources for employees, so that they in turn can deliver the best service. Just like how safety videos should be updated to keep in line with any laws concerning workplace safety and protection, EDI should be held to an equal standard, as social standards and considerations see constant change between inter-generational groups of workers and consumers.

That said, what does it mean to remain up to date with EDI in the workplace? From personal experience, employers taking extra steps to ensure my wellbeing by making themselves available to listen to any problems or concerns that I may have, and by guaranteeing that they are taking action to have them addressed, brings me the most comfort. For example, living in a bilingual area, I felt it was necessary to show that I can provide services in whichever language was most comfortable for customers. When I brought this up to my supervisor, they immediately took action to provide visual markers, such as stickers for our nametags, to make sure our customers knew we could address their diverse needs in either language they preferred.

In this instance, my comfort was addressed by simply speaking up, but what impacted the greater portion of our workplace and the customers, was acting fast and efficiently to resolve the obstacle at hand. When a workplace efficiently adapts to any barrier that hinders a person’s experience, whether it be customer-facing or internal, it demonstrates that the organization values the things that make us all human and shows that everyone will be treated equitably.