World of HR: May is Diversity Month in the European Union

It’s May, a widely-beloved month that includes such sacred holidays as Star Wars Day, National Mimosa Day, and Lost Sock Memorial Day. And in the European Union, May is Diversity Month, which was started in 2020 to celebrate and focus on diversity in the workplace. Here’s a quick overview.

Where in the world? Sponsored by the EU Commission, the monthlong initiative began as a way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Diversity Charters, which are country-specific diversity pledges that organizations in the EU sign.

According to the EU diversity website, Diversity Month focuses on DE&I in the workplace and society at large, and “celebrates efforts by organizations to build equal and inclusive environments for all.” This year’s theme is about “building bridges” to various aspects of diversity, including race, gender, and age. The initiative calls on employers to share what they’re doing for diversity initiatives, and as of publication, there are hundreds of planned activities throughout Europe, from a women in mining event in Spain, to a DE&I survey being developed in Romania.

As part of the initiative, the EU Commission is encouraging companies to use its diversity self-assessment resource. The assessment, composed of 21 questions, asks about organizational diversity, recruitment, career progression, and more, to determine how far along they are in their DE&I journey.

Satellite view. The EU isn’t the only region attempting to improve workplace diversity on a broad scale, according to a report from the International Labour Organization. A law in Australia now requires employers with over 100 employees to share gender pay disparities, while in India, companies are determining what diversity efforts should look like for their swath of the subcontinent.

Readers: How are your European offices for EU Diversity Month? We want to hear from you. Reach out to: [email protected].