Dear RI SHRM Community,
We continue to be heartbroken about the news events reported over the last week. Between the appalling video of Tyree Nichols, mass shootings, and other horrific events that were featured, we all feel heaviness as we go into this new week.
More lives continue to be lost at the hands of police violence and mass shootings across our nation. At RI SHRM, creating an inclusive and equitable workforce is an important value for us and we would like to use this opportunity as a call to do more. We feel that this needs to be our call to do more, speak out, speak up, and look at our colleagues, family members, loved ones, and ourselves with greater empathy.
This coming week, we ask our leaders, supervisors, managers, teachers - anyone in a leadership capacity to check in on your employees and students. The outcry of pain, worry, and anguish may be silent and may manifest itself in other ways than tears or anger. Check in. Give space. Listen.
In line with this, it’s important to come back to the basics of how we interact with friends, colleagues, and others. In these heavy times, it’s so important to set some time aside to ask: How are you? What do you need? How can I help?
It may seem trivial, but it's important. Employee health and well-being can be directly tied to empathy and connection and are integral during these difficult times.
We encourage you to reach out to your employees. If you offer an Employee Assistance Program, it would be a great time to provide them with a refresh on what those benefits are and how to access them.
As our Director of Operations Kevin Matta shared on his linkedin earlier today, here are some links that we find helpful to either recharge your spirit and/or invite you to a place of reflection:
Here are a few articles from SHRM National that give some information on supporting employees during difficult times:
From all of us at RI SHRM, we are here for you, we see you, we value you, and we care about you.
Thank you,
Lynn Corwin, State Chapter Director
Kevin Matta, Director of Operations
