OFCCP’s Commitment to Native American Inclusion in the Workplace

May 27, 2020

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and its Indian and Native American Employment Rights Program (INAERP) are committed to supporting federal contractors’ efforts to foster outreach and inclusion of Native Americans in the workplace.

In September 2019, we conducted a successful Native American Outreach Town Hall event and identified three action plan items to increase program awareness, provide compliance assistance, and identify contractor resources. The agency made these deliverables a priority for the Fiscal Year 2020 and we are pleased to announce the new INAERP landing page, which highlights the following:

Visit the landing page for more information

5 Ways Diversity And Inclusion Help Companies Before, During And After The Pandemic

April 27, 2020 by Paolo Gaudiano.

When faced with difficult situations, companies look for ways to minimize costs. Typical cost-cutting measures include downsizing staff, cutting contracts with vendors and curtailing all activities that are not essential to survival.

The COVID-19 pandemic is proving to be one of the most challenging periods that our country has ever faced, as evidenced by the staggering number of people who have become unemployed in recent weeks: since the start of the pandemic, some 26 million people have filed for unemployment insurance as of April 23, 2020, pushing US unemployment to levels we have not seen in nearly a century.

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College Student Designs Face Mask for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

April 6, 2020
By Emma Taggart

The current COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), but those who are crafty enough have been making their own face masks from recycled fabric at home. The CDC has approved many of these homemade masks as acceptable precautionary protection, but there’s one design flaw—by covering our mouths with fabric, the masks make it impossible for the deaf and hard of hearing to communicate. That’s why Kentucky-based, 21-year-old college student Ashley Lawrence designed a reusable face mask with a see-through window.

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Asian Americans report over 650 racist acts over last week, new data says

March 26, 2020
By Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil

Seattle resident Kari was at her local grocery store in mid-March when another shopper told her own child she couldn’t be in the same line as the Korean American. She would get them sick, the shopper said. A week later at the same store, a cashier refused to check her out, saying she was going on break.

The encounter is one of hundreds of racist and xenophobic incidents that have been reported over the past week, new data reveals. The online reporting forum Stop AAPI Hate shared exclusively with NBC Asian America that since its inception March 18, it has received more than 650 direct reports of discrimination against primarily Asian Americans.

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How to Respond to Microaggressions

March 3,2020
By Hahna Yoon

Should you let that comment slide, or address it head-on? Is it more harm than it’s worth? We can help.

For many of us, microaggressions are so commonplace that it seems impossible to tackle them one at a time. Psychologists often compare them to death by a thousand cuts.  The metaphor is both the subtitle to a paper that Kevin Nadal, professor of psychology at John Jay College, wrote about the impact of microaggressions on L.G.B.T.Q. youth, and the title of another paper on the health implications of black respectability politics by Hedwig Lee, professor of sociology at Washington University in St. Louis, and Margaret Takako Hicken, research assistant professor at the University of Michigan. The phrase is commonly found in additional studies on the topic.

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Scholars v. COVID-19 Racism

April 2, 2020
By Elizabeth Redden

Scholars with expertise in Asian American studies, public health and other fields have a new urgent agenda for their teaching, research and outreach: confronting coronavirus-related racism.

Jason Chang, an associate professor of history and Asian American studies at the University of Connecticut, started putting together a crowdsourced document with resources on teaching about coronavirus-related racism back in January. Students, he said, are hungry for readings that help them put this current moment in perspective.

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Leading inclusively during a crisis: 7 ways to make virtual meetings more inclusive

April 27, 2020

In addition to disruptions to most other areas of our lives, many of us have experienced an abrupt change in how and where we work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. For those who are able to work remotely, this transition may come accompanied by a new set of challenges. While some people have quickly become fluent with the technology necessary for remote work, others are still figuring out how best to make the adjustment. For example, managers and employees alike may be wondering how best to run a meeting when some attendees have roommates or children nearby. Or when not everyone has access to reliable internet. In the midst of an international crisis that impacts each of us and our colleagues in unique ways, continuing to foster an inclusive workplace can feel daunting.

The good news is that many of the inclusive practices people use when leading meetings in person remain relevant and effective in a virtual context. Below are tips for translating those inclusive practices to the digital meeting space and for taking advantage of available technology so that team members of all identities feel acknowledged, valued, and supported.

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How to Hire for Emotional Intelligence

HBR

by Annie McKee

February 05, 2016

We know from research (and common sense) that people who understand and manage their own and others’ emotions make better leaders. They are able to deal with stress, overcome obstacles, and inspire others to work toward collective goals. They manage conflict with less fallout and build stronger teams. And they are generally happier at work, too. But far too many managers lack basic self-awareness and social skills. They don’t recognize the impact of their own feelings and moods. They are less adaptable than they need to be in today’s fast-paced world. And they don’t demonstrate basic empathy for others: they don’t understand people’s needs, which means they are unable to meet those needs or inspire people to act.

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Zooming While Black

By Shonda Buchanan
April 17, 2020

Videoconferencing from our private spaces opens a lens on cultural authenticity, professional image, workplace code-switching, and white privilege.

As soon as my image leapt onto the videoconferencing screen, it dawned on me, a smiling African American woman wearing a sleek, multicolored headband, that I was probably a little too relaxed in my appearance. I also realized that my colleagues, mostly white and Asian, were seeing me for the first time in my natural, fuss-free cultural state.

In the classroom, I wear slacks or a skirt, a blouse, maybe a shawl. My hair is always neatly pulled back. I am prepared for that space. I have cultivated my image there over 18 years of university-level teaching — operating with the understanding that I am a role model by default. As such, I represent Black women and girls everywhere.

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Reducing Stigma

CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
March 30, 2020

It is important to remember that people – including those of Asian descent – who do not live in or have not recently been in an area of the ongoing spread of the virus that causes COVID-19, or have not been in contact with a person who is a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 are not at greater risk of spreading COVID-19 than other Americans.

Public health emergencies, such as the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), are stressful times for people and communities. Fear and anxiety about a disease can lead to social stigma(1) toward people, places, or things. For example, stigma and discrimination can occur when people associate a disease, such as COVID-19, with a population or nationality, even though not everyone in that population or from that region is specifically at risk for the disease. Stigma can also occur after a person has been released from COVID-19 quarantine even though they are not considered a risk for spreading the virus to others.

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