Iveliz Crespo ( / iveliz-r-crespo-they-s... ) , Reed Smith’s global Diversity & Inclusion advisor, joins John Iino ( / john-iino-dei ) in this episode to discuss strategies that business leaders can adopt to foster inclusion and mitigate the effects of social isolation on their employees. Formerly an employment and civil rights lawyer, Iveliz has advocated for inclusion of some of society’s most marginalized communities. Iveliz and John will offer recommendations to address xenophobia, guidance on allyship and upstanders, tips for inclusive crisis communication, and ways to maximize employee resource groups during these times.
For more information, please visit Reed Smith's Diversity & Inclusion page (www.reedsmith....) . For more information on the legal and business implications of COVID-19, visit the Reed Smith Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Center (www.reedsmith....) .
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Transcript:
Intro: Hi, I'm John Iino, and welcome to the Reed Smith podcast, Inclusivity Included: Powerful Personal Stories. In each episode of this podcast, our guests will share their personal stories, passions, and challenges, past and present, all with a goal of bringing people together and learning more about others. You might be surprised by what we all have in common, inclusivity included.
John: Okay. Hey everyone. Welcome to the podcast. Today we have a special edition of Inclusivity Included. I'm joined by Iveliz Crespo, who is Reed Smith's global D&I advisor. And Iveliz and I have been having a number of conversations around response to the coronavirus and D&I issues specifically. And so we thought we'd just, instead of having the conversation amongst ourselves to have it on this podcast and share with all of you. So Iveliz, welcome today.
Iveliz: Thanks for having me, John.
John: So we've been talking a lot about the whole environment we're in, how tragic it is. We're seeing some people around the world, deaths and really sick, and we're seeing a number of people laid off businesses closing. The economy is suffering. It's just a very, very tragic time. And businesses are obviously responding to this in different ways, but you and I have talked about the importance of keeping focused on principles of diversity and inclusion, equity even during times like this. Tell us a little bit about why it's so important to continue to focus on diversity inclusion principles during these times.
Iveliz: Yeah, absolutely, John. I mean, I think it's undoubtedly that we are in terrain and this is terrain for everyone that's involved. However, I think it's really important for us to remember that for better or for worse, we as organizations, we're dependent on one another and we are dependent on our most valued resource at this time, our most valued asset, which is our employees. So while there's stressful times for everyone, I think it's incredibly important now more than ever, perhaps, that we as organizations continue to lead by example and foster inclusivity to make sure that we're taking care of our workforce. Because at times like this, the fear and uncertainty with everything that's going on really do impact employee wellbeing. And at the end of the day, productivity.
John: And it's really been heartwarming in many respects to see the triumph of the human spirit, to see how some businesses have really stepped up and like you say, taking care of the employees. I know that law firms, for example, at least to date, have been pretty, I'd say immune, but haven't suffered as hard as some of the other businesses because the nature of the businesses being able to really work remotely. But I agree with you completely is that this is a time for all organizations to really step up. And we've seen so many companies and law firm clients and law firms talk about the importance of diversity inclusion and how committed they are to it. But it's times like these where actions speak louder than words and are you really committed to it? And when your backs are against the wall, when times are so tough and when you're in crisis mode and scrambling, I've always said that your D&I mission should be intertwined with every aspect of your business. So as much as you're focused on employment law and HR issues and contracts insurance, also think about your D&I elements and how it's affecting, like you say, your people and your customers. So hopefully we can talk today a little bit about some of the responses that we see, some of the recommendations that we would make for companies as well to continue to just pay attention to D&I, even amongst all the things that are going on.
Iveliz: John, just like you said, in this effort for us companies to prevent the spread of COVID-19, companies around the globe are shutting their physical office doors, and that'...
Негізгі бет Strategies to remain inclusive during the Coronavirus crisis
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