Bring Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Commitments to Life with a Taste of Harmony
As the summer break draws to a close and people make their way back to work (at the kitchen table or otherwise), now is an ideal time to focus on the changes we can make to enhance our working lives.
Following the many challenges of the global pandemic, organisations will be assessing how they work and identifying what can be done remotely – or indeed differently.
As they do so, the question of workplace culture and relationships cannot be avoided.
Of course, people have been missing human connection in the workplace, and creating opportunities that extend beyond the usual team meeting will be more important than ever. So too, however, is the consideration workplaces collectively give to cultural diversity and inclusion.
Research shows that when people feel included in work employee innovation and productivity increases and absenteeism falls. And yet, one in five people feels discriminated against because of the colour of their skin.
A Taste of Harmony provides an ideal platform to create important team connections, while also bringing to life a vital piece of every organisation’s puzzle, that being its commitment to workplace diversity and inclusion.
Commencing in 2008, A Taste of Harmony is now Australia’s biggest celebration of cultural diversity in the workplace, with thousands of organisations taking part, including large corporates, SMEs and community groups.
The initiative has traditionally encouraged people to bring to work a dish that reflects their cultural background, sharing their food and importantly, the story behind it. But with many organisations embracing more flexible ways of working, there is now a range of ways to get involved, making it easy, safe and enjoyable for everyone to join in.
This year, A Taste of Harmony takes place between 15 – 26 March 2021. It’s free to participate and easy to organise – workplaces simply register online and take part in one or more of the following activities:
- Host a physical or a virtual lunch or morning tea event with their work team where employees can each cook a dish that represents their cultural heritage and share or discuss it with their colleagues.
- Create a recipe book to showcase the different cultures of the team.
- Coordinate a team building activity that gets people talking about their cultural heritage.
- Support restaurants and cafes, local to their workplace by ordering food and trying different cuisines.
- Use our discussion guides to initiate conversations about cultural diversity at work.
By taking part in A Taste of Harmony, your organisation will foster important team connections, enable colleagues to get to know each other and appreciate each other’s backgrounds, demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion, build cross-cultural cohesion and respect, and encourage employees to learn about more multiculturalism in Australia.
You’ll also likely discover a liking a whole range of new and interesting foods you’ve never even thought to try, which can only be a good thing!
Visit A Taste of Harmony to register your organisation and to gain access to everything you need to plan, promote and run your activity. For further information, email contact@tasteofharmony.org.au