DEI - DEIB - Workplace Diversity - What does it all mean?

Lots of acronyms - do you really know what any of them mean.  There is a lot of buzz going on right now about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives going awry. Some of them seem to go awry because we are not all talking about the same thing.  Let's talk terminology!

 Workplace diversity conversations tend to emphasize hiring people with different backgrounds and identities. (race, color, gender) Initiatives that look just these things are forgetting about the many other diverse differences in employees such as age, culture, socioeconomic class, and physical or mental abilities. Diversity without inclusion and equity may result in employees feeling tokenized or excluded.

 Equity at work creates procedures for fairness. In contrast to equality, however, the equity approach does not require identical treatment of all people. For example, providing a disability accommodation such as a modified desk, enables the performance and productivity of the disabled employee. This adjustment is fair thought not "equal" since not everyone needs a modified desk.

 Inclusion in the organizational practice of honoring each employee's human dignity, identity, and culture. Inclusive and equitable organizations are likely to foster a sense of belonging - a feeling of membership in the group.

The key to belonging is the perception that one's authentic self is welcome and supported. If employees feel they need to hide their authentic self so that they assimilate into the company culture this sense of belonging is not likely to result.

 Justice is the presence of processes and systems that support fairness. This manifests itself in honest helpful feedback, transparent information sharing, and dignified personal treatment.

 Accessibility is focused on ensuring that physical, psychological, procedural, or digital aspects of work do not present barriers for people with varying abilities and health related needs.

While these definitions are far from perfect, they are a start to the conversation needed to create a better workplace for everyone.