Amid a global pandemic that transformed the world seemingly overnight, we’ve received numerous tragic reminders that not everything has changed. Racial injustice and inequality are pervasive in our society and must come to an end.
This is not a time to remain silent and passive.
The unjust deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor are the latest tragedies in what has been a timeless call to action that has persisted for decades. These events were caught on camera and therefore have been in the spotlight of the media over the past few weeks, but the reality is that racial injustices—small and large—that aren’t caught on camera happen regularly, and the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor have catalyzed action around the globe and spurred a movement for faster positive change.
Every one of us is being called to take a stand against racism in our country and around the globe. The inequalities are wrong. The injustice is wrong. Racism is wrong. The pace of progress is wrong.
Doing the right thing has always been the foundation of our business, and how we strive to treat one another inside and outside of work. Over the past few years, Ultimate and Kronos have actively engaged in the conversations around equity, inclusion, and unconscious bias at work as part of our belief that as an HCM provider, it’s our responsibility to help the HR industry evolve and improve the experience of employees at work. But we recognize that there is more we can do. Increasing the pace of positive change requires both making a verbal commitment and taking bold action.
Companies must stand up and express their commitment to real change, but they also must contribute to that change both within and outside of their company. Here are some steps we are taking to address racial injustice. Some of these programs were already in progress, and some have been accelerated.
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Expanding internal support and growth opportunities for Black employees. We recently introduced a new community of interest, BUILD (Black Upcoming Individuals in Leadership and Development). The mission of this employee resource group is to foster inclusion and advancement for Black employees, cultivate more Black leaders within the company, and ultimately transform the tech industry to reflect the diversity of its users.
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Financially supporting existing non-profits and organizations working to end racial injustice. We have made a commitment to match our employees’ personal donations dollar-for-dollar with no cap through the end of June, to any 501c3 non-profit that is addressing racial injustice. In addition, we are making significant contributions in support of the Equal Justice Initiative and NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund (LDF). There are many other excellent nonprofits addressing racial injustice and we encourage our employees, customers, and partners to support the organizations that resonate with them.
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Providing anti-racism learning opportunities. We launched an internal Web site for our employees with articles, videos, webinars, self-paced learning, and group learning opportunities to address racism, discrimination, and unconscious bias in the workplace—as well as resources to help our employees become stronger allies in the work to eliminate racial injustice. We also created a Path to Equality resource page for organizations ready to take a stand against racism.
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Investing in researching and promoting evidence-based DEB strategies. Last year we formed the Equity at Work Council, an interdisciplinary group of thought leaders, innovators, and practitioners working together to understand and develop the science underpinning diversity, equity, and belonging (DEB). Through dedicated research and a series of open-source tools, resources, and benchmarks, the Equity at Work Council will help organizations identify and overcome barriers to DEB.
We understand that we do not have all the answers and the actions above are steps in the right direction, but we can’t stop there. We will actively participate in the work to end racial injustice, and listening to our Black community and our employees of color is one of the most important ways we’ll make decisions about the best actions to take.
Ready to join us? Below are just a few ways we can all participate in change:
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Educate yourself about the Black experience in the United States and the experiences of all people of color. Understand what needs to change and why.
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Get involved by using your voice, your vote, and your dollar to spark awareness and real change.
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Speak up against the inequities you witness in your daily life. There are disparities including those in income, housing, education, and health care that must be addressed.
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Have conversations even when it’s uncomfortable. Silence is not a solution. The conversations we have within our own groups are of crucial importance.
We stand in complete solidarity with the Black community and the commitment to end racial injustice and systemic racism in all its forms.
Kindness. Respect. Equality. Please let us know how we can do more.