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in the workplace does not necessarily require identifying racists . It does require acknowledging that race still has too big a role in work power dynamics , relationships and health outcomes .
One of the barriers to creating a more inclusive work environment is a lack of understanding about structural racism and inequities . A lack of understanding of the history and structures that surround us can lead individuals to undervalue the experience and perspective of others in very particular ways that can result in disparities in compensation , promotion , discipline and work assignments . Without a common understanding of how racism works , it will be difficult to begin to eliminate it . The department need not attempt the impossible and try to determine how much racism is in any one decision . What we can do is honestly assess the structures we have inherited , come to a common understanding of history and focus on what we have control over , namely , how we treat each other .
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and belonging is a place where people from all racial backgrounds feel their contributions , presence and perspectives are valued and reflected in department operations . To get there , we need robust and continuous training and support in order to understand the role history and systemic racism play in our decisionmaking and planning . This knowledge will empower us to begin to eliminate racial disparities in our workplace .
Though we acknowledge that we can ’ t change the general culture we live in , we believe that we can effect organizational change by becoming a diverse and inclusive workplace . Research corroborates that such a workplace has greater readiness to innovate , greater productivity and higher employee retention and happiness . In working on building a culture of inclusion and belonging , we will learn more about the root causes – though we suspect implicit and explicit racism plays a major role – so that we can better address it .
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ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE OF INCLUSION AND BELONGING |
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Deliberate investment in our racially diverse workforce is one of the highest priorities at Public Works . It goes hand-inhand with nurturing a culture of inclusion and belonging for all , particularly groups who have been historically discriminated against . A workplace rooted in inclusion |