Unlocking the Power of Inclusion: How a Diversity Calendar can Transform Your Workplace Culture
23
Jan 2023
226
Authors:
Sky McLaughlin and Sherilyn Trompetter of MT Consulting Group
In 2022, we introduced a tool that empowered organizations to embrace inclusivity in the workplace all year round. Simple yet effective, our Diversity Calendar empowers organizations to be aware of and observe important cultural celebrations. In this post, we’ll dive deep into the benefits of a diversity calendar and how you can use it.
What is a diversity calendar?
A diversity calendar provides a list of non-Western or non-Christian dates celebrated by other ethnic, religious, or cultural groups. Our diversity calendar specifically lists major dates observed in Canada, that complement existing statutory holidays. It covers ethnic, cultural, and religious observances, as well as dates significant to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) topics. This calendar is by no means an exhaustive list, but it is a well-researched starting point for your organization to begin acknowledging non-mainstream dates throughout the year.
Why should I diversify my calendar?
Normalize celebrating non-mainstream holidays
As our communities grow more diverse, so too will our organizations. Diversifying your calendar communicates to employees that your organization acknowledges this growing diversity. Actively celebrating or observing these dates further proves your commitment to building a welcoming workplace. By diversifying your office calendar, you can normalize celebrating other cultural or religious celebrations all year round. Though observing cultural events cannot be the singular piece to an organization’s overall inclusion strategy, it can create opportunities for diverse clientele or future hires to feel welcomed.
EDI is not a zero-sum game
Including other holidays does not require the removal of mainstream holidays from your calendar. EDI is not a zero-sum game, where one person’s gain is another person’s loss. Instead, think of it through the phrase “yes, and…” For example, your organization can host a potluck in December for both Hanukkah and Christmas. Alternatively, you can host a year-end holiday party that is centred on sharing celebratory meals, not just Christmas meals. Including other celebrations is as simple as saying “Yes, let’s have a year-end celebration and ask everyone to bring a dish that represents themselves.” By welcoming diverse cultural practices, employees are given an opportunity to connect and learn from one another.
Canada is growing and diversifying
In Canada, the growing focus on diversity in the workplace is a result of both inclusivity and immigration. For racialized groups living in Canada, greater inclusivity at work, school, and society at large has created opportunities to share their culture publicly. The supersonic speed of information has empowered individuals to both share and learn. Take Lunar New Year for example. In the past, it was identified as only Chinese New Year, due to the prevalence of Chinese communities in Canada. Yet recently, other Asian communities have called for a more accurate title. By using the title “Lunar New Year”, all related festivities can be included without the loss of Chinese traditions.
3 ways to use a diversity calendar:
It’s unrealistic to expect everyone to observe every single holiday listed on our diversity calendar. However, organizations can slowly incorporate certain holidays based on importance to employees or clientele. We have 3 recommendations for gradually introducing new holidays and dates to your team.
1.
Observe diverse holidays in-person
The most direct way to use a diversity calendar is to observe some of the holidays listed. It can be used as a gentle reminder that the year-end holiday party is not just a Christmas party, but a celebration for non-Christians too. It can be a tool for planning community events. For example, October is Islamic History Month, Women’s History Month, Latin American Heritage Month, Disability Employment Awareness Month, and Canadian Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month. All of these communities will be hosting events that your organization can support or attend. On the flip side, you can use the diversity calendar to plan internal events. National Day of Truth and Reconciliation provides a prime opportunity to discuss reconciliation in the workplace.
If you choose to celebrate a holiday listed on the diversity calendar, we have a few tips for hosting an inclusive event.
- Involve staff in the planning. This ensures that many voices and ideas are incorporated.
- Make attendance optional. This ensures everyone has a choice to participate in an event that may elicit negative emotions.
- Use the in-office time to host organization-wide events. Not everyone will have time on Friday afternoon to participate, keeping events within work hours helps to maintain work/life boundaries.
- Centre events around food, not alcohol. Instead of hosting your event at a local pub, consider catering lunch.
- Consider the mental health and emotional ramifications. Everyone will have different comfort levels or willingness to participate. Sometimes these differences are due to personal boundaries, so it's best to give employees the autonomy to choose.
2.
Observing diverse holidays online
Use the dates listed on the diversity calendar as a guide for creating content that can be posted externally. This could be a social media post, a blog, a short reel, or even an internal email. The objective is to observe an important date that’s relevant to your stakeholders. For example, during the weeks leading up to Pink Shirt Day in February, you could post personal stories from employees. Alternatively, you can create a blog post that details your organization’s commitment to maintaining a safe and inclusive work environment. No matter what content, be sure to create it with authenticity and sincerity so that it is aligned with your organization’s context, values and purpose.
3.
Adjusting holiday, vacation and personal time off policies
Last but not least, the diversity calendar can be used as a tool to design equitable policies and processes for holidays, vacations, and personal time off. Knowing when important dates are coming up can help you to understand why employees require time off. More importantly, by adjusting their time off policies, organizations are actively building a more inclusive workplace for their employees.
If you’re interested in learning more about creating equitable time off policies, MT Consulting Group will be presenting a workshop to CPHR Alberta members shortly. Watch the CPHR Alberta website and social media for more information.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post belong solely to the original author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of CPHR Alberta.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post belong solely to the original author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of CPHR Alberta.
Author : Nicole Mahieux, Nick Canning & Kendal Tremblay Mental health is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone of employee well-being, business resilience and community strength. For HR professionals, supporting mental health is no longer optional—it’s imperative. While conversations around mental health have gained traction in many industries, one critical sector still faces unique and persistent challenges: agriculture. Farmers and agricultural workers play a vital role in food production and national food security. Yet they are among the most vulnerable when it comes to mental health struggles. In fact, they experience some of the highest rates of stress, anxiety, depression—and even suicide. This is not just a personal issue. It's a workforce issue. It's a public health issue. It's a business issue. There are a range of compounding pressures makes farming one of the most mentally taxing professions. These include: 1.Financial Stress & Unpredictability Unstable markets, weather-dependent outcomes, and shifting government policies contribute to a constant sense of economic uncertainty. 2. Isolation Many farmers work alone and live in rural areas where access to social support is limited. Social isolation increases vulnerability to mental health concerns. 3. Stigma Although mental health stigma is slowly decreasing, it remains a barrier—especially among men, who represent 74% of the agricultural workforce. Traditional gender norms often discourage open conversations or help-seeking.
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Companies that invest in leadership development see real returns. According to Brandon Hall Group, organizations with strong leadership development programs are 1.5 times more likely to be financially high-performing, reinforcing the clear connection between leadership strength and business success (Brandon Hall Group, 2015). For small to mid-sized businesses, this risk can be especially high. As teams expand and complexity increases, the informal leadership structures that worked early on can start to crack. That’s where proactive leadership development and risk mitigation go hand-in-hand. The Leadership Gap Is a Hidden Business Risk According to a recent CPHR Alberta report, talent development and leadership gaps remain one of the top five organizational risks (CPHR Alberta, 2023). The consequences are rarely immediate, but they compound over time: • Missed growth opportunities • High-potential employees leaving due to lack of career clarity • Poor team morale when unprepared managers struggle to lead • Strategic drift from lack of alignment at the top A growing company without a leadership pipeline is like a car without a spare tire, it might keep rolling, but one unexpected bump can send the whole operation into a tailspin. Risk Mitigation Starts with Leadership Insight The first step in mitigating leadership risk is to move from guesswork to clarity. That means using structured tools like leadership assessments, succession planning frameworks, and targeted coaching to surface the actual capabilities of current and emerging leaders. In professional services firms, for example, it’s common to see technically strong employees promoted into management roles. While they excel in their areas of expertise, they often lack key leadership capabilities like delegation, feedback, and emotional intelligence (Gallo, 2016). Without proper development, this can lead to stalled projects, disengaged teams, and higher turnover. Leadership assessments and focused coaching are essential to identify these gaps early and build the skills needed to lead effectively. Common Leadership Risks in SMBs Every organization faces different risks, but these are some of the most common leadership vulnerabilities seen in growth-stage companies (SHRM, 2022): • Lack of succession planning: Only one person knows how to run a key function, creating bottlenecks and burnout. • Unclear decision-making authority: Teams waste time waiting for approvals or duplicating efforts due to ambiguous roles. • Promotion without preparation: High performers are promoted into leadership roles without training, leading to micromanagement or misalignment. • Poor feedback culture: A lack of honest dialogue means small issues snowball into bigger people problems. • Leadership misfit: A leader’s natural style may clash with the culture or needs of a specific team or situation. Mitigating these risks requires more than a one-time workshop. It takes intentional development, structured tools, and reinforcement over time (SHRM, 2022). What Effective Mitigation Looks Like The most successful companies don’t wait for a leadership crisis to take action. They build leadership strength proactively. Here’s what that looks like: • Leadership assessments are used during hiring and promotions to identify fit, style, and potential blind spots. • Customized coaching programs help leaders build the exact skills they need in real time, tied to their actual challenges (International Coaching Federation, 2022). • Leadership training cohorts (such as PowerUp Leadership’s “Coaching Skills for Managers” or “Authentic Leadership” programs) create a shared foundation across the organization. • Succession maps identify who is ready or could be ready for key roles in 12–24 months, creating a proactive development plan (SHRM, 2022). As companies grow, the complexity of people management increases exponentially. Systems, tools, and strategy all matter but none of them work without effective leadership behind them (McKinsey & Company, 2018). Investing in leadership development isn’t a “nice to have” for big companies, it’s a risk management strategy for every business serious about sustainable growth.
